Management of Cancer Pain

This article seeks to provide an update on the current knowledge and concepts in cancer pain management with an attempt to provide practical education for use in the emergency room.Recent FindingsPain presents in various ways, manifesting as either nociceptive or neuropathic types. Classification systems such as the DN4 questionnaire and the Zubrod scoring system have been established in an attempt to provide guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of cancer-associated pain and provide a quick and efficient way to evaluate pain in the ER setting and to guide treatment.SummaryThere are many options for pain control in the cancer patient, consisting of intravenous, oral, or topical medications in order to address the full spectrum of pain, and selection of the appropriate treatment should address as much of the nociceptive and neuropathic pain components as possible, often requiring combination therapy.
Source: Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports - Category: Emergency Medicine Source Type: research