title: Postoperative pain management.
abstract: This article provides an overview of current methods used in acute pain management and explains why effective analgesia is crucial in the early postoperative period. It describes the pharmacology of both common and specialist analgesics, as well as explaining the role and uses of regional and neuraxial analgesia, for the non-anaesthetist.
authors.affiliation: Specialist Registrar in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine.
authors.forename: Maria K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Stasiowska
authors.affiliation: Specialist Registrar in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine.
authors.forename: Su Cheen
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Specialist Registrar in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine.
authors.forename: Anthony N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gubbay
authors.affiliation: Consultant in Pain Medicine and Anaesthesia in the Pain Management Centre, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and UCL Hospitals, London WC1N 3BG.
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cregg
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D059408:Pain Management; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000069583:Pregabalin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000700:Analgesics; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D000082:Acetaminophen; D000069583:Pregabalin; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin