Acute Pain Service & Managing Pain

 

The Acute Pain Service (APS) is managed by a Nurse Practitioner specializing in acute pain therapies and the anesthesiology team.

 

Portrait of a woman with cancer and her doctor

APS aims to build a hospital-wide commitment to help patients who are hospitalized manage pain by collaborating closely with their circle of care and the patient through an individualized plan. Up-to-date clinical evidence is used to support how the plan is created and adjusted, reflecting best practice and using the latest research and advancements in healthcare technology.

 

Patients referred to APS are seen twice a day and adjustments are made to their medications as required. The APS is available 24/7 for consultations and referrals and an anesthesiologist is always available. A wide range of pain relieving options are available to patients. Some combine pain management options in an effort to reduce the use of opioids. By using different medications, pain and side effects can also be reduced as medications can support a patient's recovery differently due to a number of factors. The goal is to achieve good pain control so you are supported in your care and recovery journey.

It is our commitment that your stay in hospital is as pain-free as possible. Good pain management helps patients feel better and improves recovery time. When you feel less pain, you are more comfortable while you heal, you can begin activities that are important to your recovery such as deep breathing, coughing, moving about in bed, sitting in a chair, and walking. Movement fuels the body. Methods of pain control can vary by patient. 

 

Managing pain can be done via:

  • Pills or liquid
  • Transdermally (through the skin to the bloodstream)
  • Rectal suppository
  • Injection (needle)
  • Injection through an intravenous (IV)
  • Regional block (use of medicine to temporarily freeze major nerves)

PCA is a type of pain management that lets you decide when you will get a dose of pain medicine. This system of pain management is given through an IV line placed into your vein. A computerized pump sends pain medicine through the IV in prescribed intervals by pressing a handheld button. Is often used to ease pain after surgery, at home, for people ho are in hospice, or for painful conditions like pancreatitis or sickle cell disease. It works well for patients who are unable to take medication by mouth. 

 

Before operating the PCA, a nurse will make sure you understand how the machine works. When your pain subsides, you may be switched to pain medicine taken by mouth.

 

It is important that you are monitored regularly while using a PCA pump. A nurse may check for breathing problems and other side effects. PCA is a safe and effective method of pain management, however, some may experience side effects. It is important to report any concerns to your care provider right away. 

Epidurals are a common procedure used to manage pain or a lack of feeling for labour and childbirth, some surgeries and causes of chronic pain. It is generally a safe procedure that involves injecting a medication (anesthetic or steroid) into the space around your spinal nerves (also called the epidural space). The goal is to provide pain relief (analgesia) or a complete lack of feeling (anesthesia) by stopping pain signals from traveling through your spine to your brain. The injection liquid fills the space and surrounds your spinal cord like a protective sleeve. 

 

Use of epidural analgesia is a means by which a plastic tube is placed in your back before the start of your anesthetic or during your surgery. Local anesthetics and other medications may also be given through this tube to provide pain relief in the area of surgery. 

Regional analgesia refers to local anesthetic that is given via a single injection or placing a soft plastic tube near the nerves that carry pain signals. Epidurals given for childbirth and labour are a form of regional analgesia. 

A pain rating scale is a helpful tool you can use to describe how much pain you are feeling. Your doctor or nurse may ask you to rate your pain regularly. Zero (0) is no pain to a maximum of 10, which is unbearable pain. Patterns in your scores help the healthcare team know if the medications ordered are working for you.