The lack of analgesic use (oligoanalgesia) in small animal practice |
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| Authors: | B T Simon E M Scallan G Carroll P V Steagall |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA;2. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, 3200 Rue Sicotte, Saint‐Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Oligoanalgesia is defined as failure to provide analgesia in patients with acute pain. Treatment of pain in emergencies, critical care and perioperatively may influence patient outcomes: the harmful practice of withholding analgesics occurs in teaching hospitals and private practices and results in severe physiological consequences. This article discusses the prevalence, primary causes, species and regional differences and ways to avoid oligoanalgesia in small animal practice. Oligoanalgesia may be addressed by improving education on pain management in the veterinary curriculum, providing continuing education to veterinarians and implementing pain scales. |
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