Pain Measurement and Pain Management in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU)

Pain Measurement and Pain Management in the ICU

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a pain training program and systematic measurement of pain scores on actual pain levels and the use of analgesics in critically ill patients.

Systematic evaluation of pain, though still not common practice in all ICUs, is recommended in clinical practice guidelines for optimal pain management. Pain is a frequently experienced problem in patients in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU). In search of literature to support the need for introduction of a pain management system and to train the entire health staff in our department little information was found concerning the effects of pain training and pain management systems in the ICU. The small number of available studies may be explained by the difficulty of systematic pain measurement in ICU patients, mainly due to the inability to communicate effectively with these patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients admitted to the ICU of the St. Antonius hospital, >18 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are suspected to be brain-dead