oids and cancer recurrence, although much more research is needed
in this area.)
What's the alternative? The best approach is to focus your pain regi-
men on non-opioid analgesics. But since there's no single wonder
drug capable of targeting pain at all angles, the multimodal approach
is vital. In fact, the most recent guidelines for acute pain management
from the American Society of Anesthesiologists advocate a multi-
modal approach that includes around-the-clock non-opioid analgesics
— including acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
agents (NSAIDs) or cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors —
as well as local anesthetic techniques, whenever possible. With this
approach, opioids become adjunctive agents instead of mainstays.
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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 5
z CLEAR DIRECTIONS Patient education is
key with pain pumps. Provide both oral and
written instructions to the patient and care-
taker, as well as a 24-hour contact number.
