[Posttraumatic/postoperative pain].

Abstract

This article presents the current management of acute pain(posttraumatic and postoperative pain). The management of acute pain, especially postoperative pain, makes a great advance in this twenty years. The discovery of physiology and pharmacology of pain mechanisms made a great contribution to the improvement of the patient care during postoperative period. The following three events seem to be a tremendous impact for this improvement, 1) spinal opioid, 2) preemptive analgesia, 3) patient-controlled analgesia(PCA). So these days postoperative pain, the major complaint during the postoperative period, is almost improved at the hospital that coordinates pain treatment strategies. The management of pain improves the quality of life for the postoperative patients and the prognosis of postoperative patients. We should take our warning to heart that the management of acute pain(postoperative, posttraumatic, and labor pain) is not only 'procedure' but also 'therapy' against the pain.