Acute Pain

Epidural: The Principles and Benefits of Epidural Analgesia

The discovery of opioid receptors in the spinal cord in 1976 [1] raised interesting possibilities. The intraoperative use of regional analgesia could be extended into the postoperative period. The side effects of local anaesthetics alone in the epidural space (hypotension and excess motor block) could be reduced by the use of epidural opioids alone or mixtures of lower concentration local anaesthetics and opioids. At the time it was predicted that the advantages of opioid use were:

References

WHO Analgesic Ladder

This article discusses the WHO analgesic ladder for those who are unfamiliar with it and its use in practice.

Pharmacokinetics: Metabolism and Excretion

Content Overview:

Roger Knaggs is one of the only pharmacists across the UK who has developed a career as a specialist in the management of pain. He is a specialist pharmacist in anaesthetics and pain relief at Nottingham and is widely know within the pain community. This presentation will outline the way in which the body handles drugs, pharmacokinetics. He will describe how drugs are metabolised and excreted. Pharmacokinetics can be divided into 4 main areas: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.

Chronic Post Surgical Pain

Dr Bill Macrae is a Consultant Anaesthetist, in the department of Clinical Neurosciences at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. He works in the Chronic Pain Service, the Acute Pain Team and the Hospice. His work interests include Palliative Care, and Chronic Pain after Surgery. The presentation will consider persistent pain after surgery and considers the risk factors and management of chronic post surgical pain.