Pain and its management are now being recognized as important components of medical care as evidenced by hospitals, health care providers, and insurance companies including pain assessment as “The 5th Vital Sign.” The Anesthesia Department at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) recognizes the importance of pain management. In an effort to better serve our patients’ pain needs and provide quality patient care, the Acute Pain Service (APS) was restructured. As of September 2005, the APS and the Regional Anesthesia team joined together to develop a service as RAPS - Regional Anesthesia Pain Service. Despite the restructuring, the groups continue to work closely together to provide the best and most advanced care possible. The RAPS at the MUSC provides daily 24/7 coverage and management of patients with postoperative, post-traumatic, and other types of acute pain requiring specialized interventions such as epidural analgesia or continuous peripheral nerve blockade. The service is staffed by board certified anesthesiologists and anesthesia residents. The RAPS is a consult service that does not provide routine management for patients on IV-PCA, but does so at the request of the patients’ primary service. The RAPS is available to assist the anesthesia department and surgical teams to devise a post operative pain management strategy tailored for the individual patient. This includes a full perioperative assessment which evaluates the patient’s pre-surgical pain and function, the proposed surgery, the anesthetic plan, and post operative course. Recommendations can then be made regarding preoperative pain adjuvants, regional anesthetic techniques, anticoagulation if applicable, and post-operative pain management. Patients followed on our service typically have some type of peripheral nerve or epidural catheter in place. Our goal is to assist with placement of that catheter prior to surgery so early assessment of its function can made. The patients are then seen in the recovery room and their pain and catheter function is re-assessed. The RAPS will visit the patient at least daily and more if necessary while the pain catheter is in place. Regional Anesthesia Pain Service Faculty: Michael Hay, MD
Assistant Professor
mailto:hayjo@musc.edu
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