The Pain Management Unit aims to treat both chronic pain and acute post-operative pain symptoms which are particularly complex and do not respond to conventional treatments or which the patient does not tolerate.
The Hospital Ruber Internacional pain management unit is made up of a multidisciplinary team: Anaesthetists, nursing staff, surgical teams and day care staff that will assess your pain symptoms and determine which is the treatment necessary for suitable control.
Acute Pain
OBJECTIVES OF THE ACUTE PAIN UNIT
To decrease the pain or to try to relieve it with efficient, individualised techniques, following a protocol and with the necessary human resources, specialists and materials.
To reduce the side effects and post-operative complications (nausea, vomiting, etc.).
To avoid insufficient analgesia and the onset of pain peaks without treatment.
PAIN MANAGEMENT AFTER SURGERY
The planning of analgesic treatment, continuous assessment and appropriate follow-up allow pain management in the post-operative period to be optimised.
Nowadays, we have various techniques that, in an isolated or combined manner, enable the quality of analgesia in the immediate post-operative period to be improved.
-
PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA (PCA):
Analgesia system via a continuous infusion pump. After being requested by the patient when they are in pain (by pressing the button of a remote control paired with the pump), it administers a specific amount of the pain relief medication, always safely to avoid an overdose and its complications. It allows for rapid pain relief and it can be used intravenously, through the epidural route or in peripheral nerves.
-
EPIDURAL ANAESTHESIA:
A puncture is made in the back to locate the epidural space. After the placement of a catheter or fine tube, we can relieve the intra- and post-operative pain continuously. The administration via a pump or PCA of local anaesthetics in combination with morphine derivatives allows for optimum analgesic control avoiding the complications of the intravenous route.
-
ULTRASOUND-GUIDED PERIPHERAL NERVE BLOCK:
The nerves or groups of nerves that give sensitivity to the region that is going to be operated on are located using ultrasound. Administration of local anaesthetics in a single dose or continuously via a catheter enables pain on a specific area to be relieved effectively, decreasing the need for analgesia via the systemic route.
TECHNIQUES OF THE ACUTE PAIN UNIT
Oral treatments
Treatments through the intravenous route
PCA (patient-controlled analgesia)
Epidural route treatments
Peripheral nerve blocks
Combined techniques.
WHAT RESULTS DO WE EXPECT TO ACHIEVE?
- Treat post-operative pain.
- Improve recovery.
- Improve quality of life.
- Patient satisfaction.
Chronic Pain
OBJECTIVES OF THE CHRONIC PAIN UNIT
To assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of pain at any location and of any cause (benign chronic pain, post-operative chronic pain or cancer pain) by means of drug therapy, non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques.
To eliminate or minimise the impact of the pain in order to achieve a good quality of life.
PAIN MANAGEMENT AFTER SURGERY
A large multidisciplinary team will be responsible for assessing the pain symptoms and will determine which treatment best adapts to each patient.
To achieve this objective in an interview, a doctor from the unit will carry out a detailed medical history, a physical examination and the tests provided will be assessed and/or new specific tests will be requested.
After gathering all the necessary information, a treatment will be provided for pain management that may consist of a drug therapy or the performance of techniques with a different level of complexity. These treatments will be adjusted to the circumstances of each patient (age, associated conditions, etc.) as well as to the type of pain, intensity, location and cause.
CHRONIC PAIN UNIT TECHNIQUES
- Iontophoresis
- TENS
- Trigger point infiltration
- Intra-articular infiltrations
- Diagnostic blocks
- Sympathetic blocks
- Therapeutic blocks
- Ozone, Hyaluronic acid, Botulinum toxin
- Epiduroscopy/epidurography
- Epidurolysis due to post-surgical adhesions
- Intravenous regional blocks
- Conventional and pulsed radiofrequency
- Epidural stimulators
- Intrathecal pumps
- Epidural and spinal catheters
- Conventional and pulsed radiofrequency
- Epidural stimulators
- Intrathecal pumps
OBJECTIVES OF THE CHRONIC PAIN UNIT
To assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of pain at any location and of any cause (benign chronic pain, post-operative chronic pain or cancer pain) by means of drug therapy, non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques.
To eliminate or minimise the impact of the pain to achieve a good quality of life.