THE USE OF DRUGS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN MA NAGEMENT

For the treatment of postoperative pain, numerous techniques that have been adequately tested and found to be effective and safe are availab le. To ensure that they can be utilized for all patients, suitable org anisational forms have to be put in place in the hospital. The present article represents a summary of three papers dealing with the pharmac ological background of systemic pharmacotherapy (antipyretic/anti-infl ammatory analgesics, opioids) and postoperative local and conduction a nalgesia, strategies for establishing the proper dose, and dose mainte nance, as well as, finally, a discussion of problems associated with t he practical implementation of the techniques.