Skip Navigation

British Medical Bulletin 2004 71(1):13-27; doi:10.1093/bmb/ldh030
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (9)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dahl, J. B.
Right arrow Articles by Møiniche, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dahl, J. B.
Right arrow Articles by Møiniche, S.
Related Collections
Right arrow Anaesthesia
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Published online 13 December 2004

British Medical Bulletin, Vol. 71 © The British Council 2004; all rights reserved

Pre-emptive analgesia

Jørgen B. Dahl and Steen Møiniche

Department of Anaesthesiology, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark

Correspondence to: Jørgen B. Dahl, Department of Anaesthesiology, Glostrup University Hospital Ndr. Ringvej, DK-2600 Glostrup, Denmark. E-mail: jbdahl{at}dadlnet.dk

Transmission of pain signals evoked by tissue damage leads to sensitization of the peripheral and central pain pathways. Pre-emptive analgesia is a treatment that is initiated before the surgical procedure in order to reduce this sensitization. Owing to this ‘protective’ effect on the nociceptive system, pre-emptive analgesia has the potential to be more effective than a similar analgesic treatment initiated after surgery. Theoretically, immediate postoperative pain may be reduced and the development of chronic pain may be prevented. Although some clinical studies have demonstrated significant effects on acute postoperative pain, no major clinical benefits of pre-emptive analgesia have been documented. The only way to prevent sensitization of the nociceptive system might be to block completely any pain signal originating from the surgical wound from the time of incision until final wound healing. Other pharmacological interventions, including ‘antihyperalgesic’ drugs such as NMDA-receptor antagonists and gabapentin, may interfere with the induction and maintenance of sensitization. Future studies will investigate the analgesic effect of prolonged multimodal combinations of different classes of ‘traditional’ analgesics and ‘antihyperalgesics’ on postoperative pain.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Foot & Ankle SpecialistHome page
I. Turan, H. Assareh, C. Rolf, and J. G. Jakobsson
Clinical Research: Etoricoxib, Paracetamol, and Dextropropoxyphene for Postoperative Pain Management: A Questionnaire Survey of Consumption of Take-Home Medication After Elective Hallux Valgus Surgery
Foot & Ankle Specialist, April 1, 2008; 1(2): 88 - 92.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Br J AnaesthHome page
A. Gottschalk, M. Freitag, E. Steinacker, S. Kreissl, C. Rempf, H.-J. Staude, T. Strate, and T. Standl
Pre-incisional epidural ropivacaine, sufentanil, clonidine, and (S)+-ketamine does not provide pre-emptive analgesia in patients undergoing major pancreatic surgery
Br. J. Anaesth., January 1, 2008; 100(1): 36 - 41.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg.Home page
A. D.L. Sihoe, A. V. Manlulu, T.-W. Lee, K.-H. Thung, and A. P.C. Yim
Pre-emptive local anesthesia for needlescopic video-assisted thoracic surgery: a randomized controlled trial
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., January 1, 2007; 31(1): 103 - 108.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.