title: Assessing and Managing Acute Pain: A Call to Action.
abstract: : Acute pain, which is usually sudden in onset and time limited, serves a biological protective function, warning the body of impending danger. However, while acute pain often resolves over time with normal healing, unrelieved acute pain can disrupt activities of daily living and transition to chronic pain. This article describes the effects of unrelieved acute pain on patients and clinical outcomes. The authors call on nurses to assess and manage acute pain in accordance with evidence-based guidelines, expert consensus reports, and position statements from professional nursing organizations in order to minimize the likelihood of its becoming chronic.
authors.affiliation: Carla R. Jungquist is an assistant professor in the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, Buffalo, NY. April Hazard Vallerand is associate dean for research and director of the PhD program at Wayne State University College of Nursing, Detroit. Corinna Sicoutris is associate director of advanced practitioners at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Kyung N. Kwon is research manager in the Defense and Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Rockville, MD. Rosemary C. Polomano is a professor of pain practice at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia. Contact author: Carla R. Jungquist, carlajun@buffalo.edu. Carla R. Jungquist has served on the advisory board of Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals; April Hazard Vallerand is on the speaker's bureaus of AstraZeneca and Purdue Pharma and is a consultant for Shionogi, Inc.; Rosemary C. Polomano has served on the advisory boards of Salix Pharmaceuticals, Daiichi Sankyo, and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Carla R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jungquist
authors.forename: April Hazard
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Vallerand
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sicoutris
authors.forename: Kyung N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Rosemary C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Polomano
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid