ICU Pain: Are you really doing the right thing by your patient?

The management of ICU pain for Critical Care Nurses

The lecture duration is 42min.

1 CPD Point, 1 CEU, 1 CME credit approval pending.
Accredited by CPDUK, CBRN and Provider Pending.

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Elisabeth Papathanassoglou
Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Canada
Lecture Summary

The aim of this lecture is to enhance knowledge on the use of pain assessment tools in the ICU, and on the clinical significance of systematic pain assessment, and to promote understanding of how the neural circuitry of nociception perpetuates increased pain levels in critically ill patients. The majority of critically ill patients experience moderate to severe pain. Pain may also persist after ICU discharge and shift to chronic pain, and is also implicated in the post-intensive care syndrome. Despite guidelines, implementation and use of validated tools to assess pain in routine ICU practice appears to be inconsistent.

Target Audience

Critical Care Nurses
Trainee Critical Care Doctors

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

  • Understand the pathophysiology of ICU pain
  • Discuss the impact of pain on critical illness pathophysiology & recovery
  • Briefly discuss 2018 PAD guidelines
  • Discuss and compare pain assessment tools validated for adult critically ill patients