These resources have been developed to support best practice in the safe use of opioids for acute pain in the post-operative period and emergency department.
The resources are designed to be used in conjunction with best practice guidelines and the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care Opioid Analgesic Stewardship in Acute Pain Clinical Care Standard.
Best practice summaries
Safe use of opioids in the Emergency Department
Safe use of opioids for surgical patients
Safe use of opioids in the Emergency Department (slide deck)
Clinical case studies
Case study: Safe use of opioid analgesics for acute pain in the Emergency Department
Brian, a 21-year-old male, presents to the emergency department complaining of severe pain in his chest, due to an injury. How will you ensure that his pain is effectively and safely managed in the emergency department and on transition back into the community?
Case study: Opioid analgesics: Safe use for acute postoperative pain
Jenny is a 73-year-old woman scheduled for a total knee replacement. She has been taking an oral modified-release formulation of an opioid analgesic for the last 6 months. How will you ensure that her pain is effectively and safely managed after her surgery and on transition back into the community?
Podcast
Episode 46: The safe use of opioids in acute pain
Opioids have established efficacy in treating acute pain, but they also come with significant risk of harms. A particular concern is the rate at which short term can result in persistent and long term problematic use.
We would like to acknowledge the support and expertise of the following people in developing these resources:
- Professor Pamela Macintyre FANZCA – Emeritus Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital and Clinical Professor, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide.
- Dr Kim Hattingh FANZCA – Specialist Pain Physician and Consultant at Bendigo Hospital, Bendigo Health.
- Dr Rhys Ross-Browne FACEM – Staff Specialist in Emergency Medicine at Campbelltown and Camden Hospital and Conjoint Lecturer at Western Sydney University School of Medicine.
We would also like to acknowledge the members of our user testing group of hospital pharmacists, nurses, and medical staff for reviewing the resources to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Choosing Wisely Australia
Choosing Wisely Australia is an initiative that brings the community together to improve the quality of healthcare through considering tests, treatments and procedures where evidence shows they provide no benefit or, in some cases, lead to harm.
Led by Australia’s colleges, societies and associations and facilitated by NPS MedicineWise, Choosing Wisely Australia challenges the way we think about healthcare, questioning the notion 'more is always better'.
Recommendations from the Faculty of Pain Medicine, ANZCA
Back to Pain management hub