Acute pain services in India: A long and challenging journey ahead

• Main Authors: Samina Khaliloddin Khatib, Sadhana Sudhir Kulkarni, Syed Shamim Razvi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Pain
• Subjects: Acute pain medicine; acute pain services; opioids; pain education; pain policy
• Online Access: http://www.indianjpain.org/article.asp?issn=0970-5333;year=2016;volume=30;issue=2;spage=83;epage=89;aulast=Khatib

Acute post-operative pain and other forms of pain are widely undertreated globally including the Indian hospitals. As a result a large proportion of patients suffer from moderate to severe forms of pain. Undertreated pain can have many negative consequences such as pulmonary complications, acute myocardial ischemic events, delayed wound healing, prolonged hospital stay, etc. In spite of this acute pain continues to be negelected. The solution to poorly managed pain is not just developing newer and sophisticated techniques. But the solution lies in developing a dedicated, round-the-clock service called as acute pain service. This concept has gained world wide acceptance in last two decades and a majority of countries are developing such pain services in the hospitals. Unfortunately in India the field of acute pain medicine is still in its infancy. A very few hospitals have full fledged Acute Pain Services. In this review article we have tried to throw light on the hurdles in developing Acute Pain Services in our country. Also we have suggested a few possible solutions.