Resumen de Funcionamiento de la Unidad del dolor Agudo (UDA), un equipo multidisciplinar
M. A. González Fernández, Jesús Llorente Gutiérrez, Pilar Aparicio, J.L. Herreras, E. Jiménez
Objective: To expose the performance of the Acute Postoperative Pain Unit (APU), recently created in our hospital, through the daily activities that take place, as well as to analyze the data obtained from the follow-up of patients treated by such unit for a two-month period. Material and Methods: The unit's performance is described including the drug administration protocols and those for acting in case of appearance of adverse effects, the utilized analgesic techniques and pharmacological treatments, as well as the pharmacist's function in such a unit. Results: A follow-up of 151 treated patients took place. From those patients, 61% and 28% were under treatment controlled by the APU for 1 and 2 days, respectively. The most frequent types of surgery were cholecystectomy (19.8%), intestinal resection (9.2%) and hemicolectomy (7.2%). Regarding the side effects, sweating appeared in 3 7.08% of patients, as well as nausea and vomits (17.2%), 2 patients presented hypotension, there was a case of sensitivity loss in the lower limbs and there was another one of itching that forced to suspend the treatment. Surgeries that produced severe pain for more than 24 hours were treated in a higher proportion with PCA of morphic chloride, while those that produced either moderate or severe pain for less than 24 hours were mostly treated with tramadol autoinfusors. Conclusion: Taking into account the pain severity created by the above-mentioned surgeries and the safety of employed analgesic techniques and pharmacological treatments given the obtained results, the performance of the APU should be expanded to other surgical services within the hospital. Moreover, the presence of the hospital's pharmacist in these units must be fostered with the goal of collaborating and providing everything that is necessary to avoid possible problems derived from drug use
