Postoperative
pain
Patients undergoing surgery suffer
pain because of damage to their body
tissues and the stress that the operation
places on the body. The physical trauma
of surgery, particularly with major
operations, means that many patients
continue to feel pain afterwards. Such
postoperative pain can be combated by
using adequate analgesia during and
after surgery.
Chronic
pain
Chronic pain is experienced
in various diseases, cancer being
one of the most common. Moderate or
severe pain is experienced by up to
half of patients receiving active
treatment for cancer and by almost
three-quarters of patients with advanced
cancer.
- Globally, some 3.5 million people
suffer cancer pain every day.
- Cancer pain can have a profound
effect on quality of life and social
activities.
- Some clinical studies suggest
that patients with persistent pain
respond less well to chemotherapy
or radiotherapy. They have a shorter
life expectancy than patients who
receive effective pain relief.
- Eighty per cent of pain can be
controlled.
Despite these facts, 50 to 80% of
cancer patients do not achieve satisfactory
pain relief.
|
