Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Al Wakra Hospital has launched a new service that aims at improving acute pain management in surgical patients and patients with burn injuries.

There are three nurses who specialized in pain management in the new physician-led service, more staff will be assigned in the future.

Dr. Abdullah Fathi Nazal, a Consultant specialized in Anesthesiology and Pain Management at Al Wakra Hospital said the new service is part of ongoing expansions aimed at ensuring patients have access to the best possible care.

“Pain management is a branch of medicine that uses an interdisciplinary approach to ease suffering and improve the quality of life of those living with pain, especially those with severe or chronic pain. The discipline uses evidence-based guidelines to diagnose and manage pain as part of ensuring the best care of patients,” said Dr. Nazal.

“In general, surgical patients start to feel discomfort and pain after they leave the operating theater. This leaves medical and nursing teams searching for a way to ease the pain as part of keeping the patient comfortable and supporting their recovery. The newly formed pain management team will follow each patient from the time they leave the operating theater until they are discharged from hospital,” added Dr. Nazal.

Burn pain management is complex. In order to control it, pain must be regularly and adequately assessed, and management tailored to the needs of each patient.

Patient-controlled analgesia, which allows the patient to administer their own pain relief, and lumbar epidural injections are commonly used in the care of patients with acute pain.

The dosage of analgesic medication and the pain management method used to relieve pain are determined according to the patient’s medical condition and weight.

 In cases where the patient is given self-controlled pain management devices, the pain management team provides continuous monitoring to ensure the appropriate use of the device.   

Dr. Nazal says effective pain management, tailored to the type of wound, the stage of healing, and any necessary surgical interventions, is essential to minimizing negative pain influences and maximizing recovery, both physical and psychological. He says inadequate pain management is detrimental to the recovery of patients and can create fear and anxiety about undergoing additional treatment, including surgery, and can also result in slow healing.

The new acute pain management team has received intensive training during the past year, spanning both theoretical and practical hands-on instruction working in recovery rooms with patients. The team members currently provide weekly training sessions on pain management for other nurses.