Assessment and Management of Pain in the Intensive Care Unit

Aljumah, Mohammad Ibrahim; Aboshoushah, Enass Farouk; Coric, Daniel; Alaithan, Alaa Matuq; Almulhim, Abdullah Abdulmohsen Abdullah; AlOtaibi, Naif Matar; Alaslani, Mazen Hassan Sadoun; Kammas, Fahad Hussain; Al Saeed, Ayat Salman; Alharthi, Ali Breek

doi:10.21608/ejhm.2018.15108

Assessment and Management of Pain in the Intensive Care Unit

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad Ibrahim Aljumah ¹
Enass Farouk Aboshoushah ²
Daniel Coric ³
Alaa Matuq Alaithan ⁴
Abdullah Abdulmohsen Abdullah Almulhim ⁵
Naif Matar AlOtaibi ⁶
Mazen Hassan Sadoun Alaslani ⁷
Fahad hussain kammas ⁸
Ayat Salman al saeed ⁹
Ali breek alharthi ¹⁰

¹ Western Sydney University

² King Abdulaziz University Hospital

³ Nepean Hospital, NSW, Australia

⁴ King Fahad Hospital Hofuf

⁵ ER resident in King Fahad Hospital Hofuf

⁶ Prince Sultan Military Medical City

⁷ GP of Comprehensive Clinics of Ministry of Interior-Riyadh

⁸ King Fahad General Hospital Jeddah

⁹ Alfaisal University

¹⁰ King Abdullah Hospital . Bisha city-ICU resident

10.21608/ejhm.2018.15108

Abstract

Background: Management and assessment of pain in patients in critical care unit is a daily challenge for the health care professionals, particularly in the intubated patients, patients on mechanical ventilation, or patients who are on analgesia as such patients are unable to self-assess existence and intensity of pain. It is crucial for physicians to follow guidelines that help in pain assessment and management effectively.
Aim of the work: Our aim in this study was to study how to evaluate and manage pain in an intensive care unit patient, predominantly those patients who are unable to self- report or assess.
Materials and methods: We conducted this review using a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE, January 1994, through March 2017. The following search terms were used: pain in ICU, pain management in ICU, pain assessment methods, pain assessment in intubated patients.
Conclusion: Physical clues, which are given by comatose and intubated patients in critical care unit, should be taken in consideration, as they can be used as a method to identify existence of pain, and must be followed by effective management to decrease discomfort and prevent acute and chronic adverse effects.

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