[Practice guidelines for pain management in Mexico].
BACKGROUND
It has been documented that pain, in its diverse modalities, is the most common cause of medical attention in Mexico. Due to the increased frequency, pain management has been under consideration in health programs. On the other hand, inadequate pain management can cause severe physical, psychoaffective, and socioeconomic repercussions for patients, families, and public health services. Despite this panorama, there has been no agreement to establish better diagnostic and therapeutic methods.


METHODS
Three consensus groups were reunited in different times; those were integrated by medical experts from private and public institutions and form diverse states of the Mexican Republic. To assure the development of these practice guidelines, these experts had experience in the assessment and treatment of painful conditions. Following the methodology used for other consensus groups, diverse meetings were held to review medical evidence about the assessment and treatment of acute, perioperative and cancer pain.


RESULTS
A series of recommendations were obtained and classified according to their methodological strength.


CONCLUSIONS
As a result of these meetings, a series of recommendations based on the medical evidence were obtained. These recommendations are outlined in three practice guidelines that are intended to allow Mexican practitioners to provide optimal management for painful conditions.
Guevara-López
Uriah
U
Departamento de Medicina del Dolor y Paliativa, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad Magdalena de las Salinas, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, México. uriahguevara@yahoo.com.mx
Covarrubias-Gómez
Alfredo
A
Rodríguez-Cabrera
Rafael
R
Carrasco-Rojas
Antonio
A
Aragón
Griselda
G
Ayón-Villanueva
Hortensia
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic