Studies show that when multimodal analgesia is used before surgery, it can significantly improve pain control after surgery. Yet a new study found that fewer than 1 in 4 surgical facilities use a combination of 3 or more treatments.
Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia administered a 15-question survey to 83 medical providers, including 41 anesthesiologists across a variety of care settings, to assess how extensively medical providers in the United States use multimodal analgesia. They found that, despite recommendations for a multimodal approach, it is not yet the standard practice.
Their findings included:
Opioids are the most commonly used pain treatment, despite potential side effects such as nausea, vomiting, itching, constipation and sedation.
Non-opioids such as acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs remain largely underused, despite having fewer side effects than opioids.
Three-fourths of respondents only use 2 agents - typically a narcotic and non-narcotic - to treat pain, despite evidence that a combination of 3 or more treatments can significantly improve pain control after surgery.
Physicians must "take a more aggressive approach" to the use of a multimodal approach, "continue to educate themselves in current pain management trends and take a more aggressive approach toward the use of a multimodal pain regimen," says lead researcher Jaime L. Baratta, MD.
Mark McGraw
