Quality Use of Analgesics in Surgical Patients

Pain in surgical patients occurs both due to disease requiring surgical intervention and tissue damage during surgery in patient hospitalized in surgical clinics. The most widely used form of treatment is pharmacological treatment to eliminate surgical patient’s pain. In Turkey,analgesics are the most widely used drugs among the first five group drug, as well as all over the world. When used correctly medications can prevent problems that threats human life and health, whereas incorrect use of drugs may result in advers events including death.The concept of quality use of drug has become important due to advers events regarding drugs and the increasing cost. Nurses have an important role in the quality use of analgesics. Assessment of pain, determination of the need for analgesics, administration of analgesics to the patient according to the doctor’s order and evaluation of the result of the application are among the responsibilities of nurses. In this article, pain in surgical patients, analgesics, principles of quality use of analgesics and nurse’s role and responsibilities for analgesics practice are discussed. This article is thought to contribute to nurses about quality use of analgesics at the surgical patients.