title: Pain management in the hospitalized patient.
abstract: Pain is unnecessary. Effective tools are available to help doctors evaluate pain in their patients. Unrelieved pain should be treated just like any other vital sign: with aggressive measures. Effective therapies are available to treat pain. Use guidelines to develop a rational plan to relieve pain. Side effects are manageable. Anticipate side effects and treat aggressively. Addiction rarely occurs. Trust your patient when they report pain. Tolerance and physical dependence can occur. Plan and you will succeed. Take the initiative and focus on relieving pain at your hospital. Your patients depend on it.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal