Acute Pain

Acute pain has a warning and protective function

Acute pain is the normal, predictable physiological response to an injurious (noxious) stimulus. It can be clearly located, and its intensity correlates with the stimulus. In contrast to chronic pain, it is of limited duration and subsides on termination of the damage or healing. Acute pain has a warning and protective function: It indicates existing damage and prevents further damage by initiating avoidance reactions.

Main task of therapy: prevent pain chronification

One of the main tasks of the therapy of acute pain is to prevent pain chronification. If the transmission of pain stimuli in the nervous system is not sufficiently suppressed, endogenous pain defenses are overtaxed and lose control of events.

Postoperative pain control following surgeries

An important part of the therapy of acute pain is postoperative pain control. Nowadays, the significance of postoperative pain control is undisputed. Nevertheless, some patients still do not receive appropriate analgesia after surgery. The reasons for this vary: underestimation of the pain, lack of pain measurement, fear of side effects and complications, inadequate monitoring options, lack of time, etc. Postoperative analgesia is important for ethical and economic reasons: Firstly, for the reduction of postoperative complications and morbidity. Secondly, for the prevention of chronic pain syndromes. And thirdly, for a reduced hospital stay.