Acute pain management.
We encounter patients with acute pain many times each day, and few aspects of veterinary practice offer such an opportunity to help so many in such a profoundly rewarding way. As emphasized here and elsewhere, we now have excellent tools with which to help these animals, and the biggest impediment to optimal treatment of their pain is often our own difficulty in recognizing its presence. Perhaps the single most important aspect of treating acute pain is to cultivate an ability to see past our personal biases and expectations which may limit treatment and to rediscover the common sense we had about pain before we entered the profession. By rededicating ourselves to seeking out, preventing, and relieving pain, we not only perform a vital service for our patients but also elevate our profession even as we reap financial and spiritual rewards for our efforts. What could be better?
Hansen
B
B
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D019468:Disease Management; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*