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P A I N
M A N A G E M E N T
Top Tips for
Managing Post-Op Pain
Keep patients comfortable in recovery
and at home. Dan O'Connor | Editor-in-Chief
Assess the
patient's pain upon
admission to the
PACU — regard it
as another vital sign
— and treat it as
early as possible
I
n your battle against post-operative pain, sending
patients home is only half the battle. "You want
to keep them home once they go home," says
anesthesiologist Don Siwek, MD, of Long Lake
Anesthesia Associates in the Detroit area. "If they're
bouncing back to the ER because their pain is
uncontrolled, you're wasting a lot of healthcare dollars."
Keep them home once they go home. Not a bad ral-
2 0
SUPPLEMENT
TO
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E | J U LY 2013
Don Siwek, MD
HOMEWARD BOUND Dr. Siwek starts a pain pump in the recovery room.
This non-narcotic alternative for post-operative pain management provides
long-lasting, targeted pain relief.
