Pain following day surgery. Are we doing enough?
The provision of day surgery is considered an ideal method of utilising health care resources to their maximum potential. The NHS Management Executive Day Surgery Task Force report states that, during the last six years, the number of day surgical cases has increased by 30%. It is further anticipated by Ralphs, that 50% of elective surgery will be performed on a day case basis by the end of the century. For the patient who is to remain in hospital, the ward nurse is in a unique position to assess and provide effective postoperative analgesia. However, the day care patient has but a few hours before the onus of care is transferred to a relative or even back to the patient himself.
Hutson
P
P
D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*