Establishing a nurse-based, anesthesiologist-supervised inpatient acute pain service: experience of 4,617 patients.
OBJECTIVE
To describe our nurse-based Acute Pain Services (APS) and present the results of 4617 patients treated by our service.


METHODS
Descriptive audit.


METHODS
Large referral hospital.


METHODS
4617 patients treated by the APS.


RESULTS
Analgesic regimens [basic pain treatment, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), epidural analgesia, spinal analgesia, and wound instillation], as well as the associated patient monitoring and event-response algorithms are detailed. The mean visual analog score (VAS) for pain was low. A VAS for pain greater than 30 mm was noted in 15.3% of all pain scores recorded. Bradypnea (respiratory rate < 10 breaths/min) was recorded in 19 patients (overall incidence = 0.4%). No complications resulting in sustained morbidity or mortality occurred. Of the patients, 96% described their overall satisfaction with the APS as either good or excellent.


CONCLUSIONS
A nurse-based APS provides effective and safe postoperative pain management.
Shapiro
Arie
A
Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management, Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel.
Zohar
Edna
E
Kantor
Margalit
M
Memrod
Judy
J
Fredman
Brian
B
D000465:Algorithms; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000451:nursing; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000451:nursing; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003625:Data Collection; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009731:Nursing Audit; D018710:Pain Clinics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction
D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local