Acute Pain Service and multimodal therapy for postsurgical pain control: evaluation of protocol efficacy.

Aim: The institution of a postoperative Acute Pain Control Service is mandatory to improve the control of pain induced by surgical injury. Treatment of postoperative pain may be achieved using a combination of analgesic agents and techniques, reducing the incidence of side effects owing to the lower doses of the individual drugs. In 1997 we established an Acute Pain Service (APS) at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

[Systemic analgesia after peripheral block].

Over the past few years, increasing emphasis has been placed on the need to improve the management of acute pain. Despite a growing trend in acute pain management, many difficulties are still present for the treatment of postoperative pain. Loco-regional techniques together with an effective pain management should accelerate rehabilitation, decrease risk of postoperative complications and speed return to normal activities.

Cervical plexus anesthesia for carotid endarterectomy: comparison of ropivacaine and mepivacaine.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of cervical plexus block performed with ropivacaine 0.75% or 1%, or mepivacaine 2%.

Methods: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 60 patients received deep cervical plexus block with 0.