Major trauma affects more than 20 000 people per annum in the UK. Some three quarters of these patients will experience moderate-to-severe pain either as a direct result of their injuries or during the course of their management. Acute pain is associated with activation of the stress response. Poorly treated pain can also result in considerable psychological stress, which can impact on ongoing treatment and rehabilitation post-injury. Additionally, pain may persist to become chronic pain — up to two-thirds of major trauma victims report ongoing pain severe enough to affect quality of life for several years after injury. Delivery of effective analgesia has been shown to reduce the adverse effects on outcome associated with undertreated pain.
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