Acute Pain: A Clinical Guide to Assessment, Triage, Multimodal Analgesia, Opioid Stewardship, and Community-Based Acute Pain Care

Acute Pain Management Second Edition is a clinically focused, evidence-informed textbook designed for healthcare professionals, trainees, pain medicine learners, and serious readers seeking a structured understanding of acute pain assessment, triage, multimodal analgesia, opioid stewardship, and community-based pain care.Written with scientific rigor and practical clinical relevance, this volume examines acute pain within the broader realities of modern healthcare, where patients commonly present with postoperative pain, traumatic injuries, musculoskeletal conditions, dental pain, headaches, abdominal pain, neuropathic symptoms, opioid-related concerns, and acute exacerbations of chronic pain. Rather than approaching acute pain as a simple symptom to suppress, this book presents a balanced framework that recognizes pain as both a protective biological signal and a complex clinical presentation requiring careful assessment, timely diagnosis, and safe treatment planning.The book begins by reviewing the historical, biological, and clinical foundations of pain, including the evolution of pain theory, nociception, the International Association for the Study of Pain definition, acute versus chronic pain, pain perception, central sensitization, and the transition from acute pain to chronic pain. It then moves into the clinical recognition of acute pain presentations, with emphasis on red-flag symptoms, eudynia and maldynia, risk stratification, functional assessment, medical emergencies, recurrent acute pain, acute-on-chronic pain, and opioid withdrawal-related pain.A central focus of this second edition is the practical management of acute pain in real-world clinical settings. Readers are guided through structured assessment frameworks, clinical triage, multimodal analgesia, non-opioid medications, opioid-sparing strategies, safe opioid prescribing, regional anesthesia, interventional approaches, non-pharmacological therapies, discharge planning, and prevention of pain chronification. Special attention is given to older adults, pediatric patients, pregnant individuals, patients with substance use disorders, medically complex patients, and individuals at increased risk of persistent pain or medication-related harm.This textbook also explores the intersection of acute pain with emergency medicine, primary care, postoperative recovery, trauma care, dental practice, addiction medicine, interventional pain management, and rehabilitation. Throughout the text, the emphasis remains on careful diagnosis, individualized treatment, patient safety, functional recovery, clinical judgment, and compassionate communication.Designed as both an academic companion and a practical clinical guide, Acute Pain Management Second Edition provides a clear and organized approach to understanding how acute pain presents, when it signals urgent pathology, how it should be treated, and how clinicians can reduce the risk of long-term pain, disability, and opioid-related harm through evidence-informed, patient-centered care.Whether used by physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dentists, pain clinicians, addiction specialists, emergency care providers, students, or healthcare learners, this book offers a timely and practical resource for navigating one of the most common and consequential areas of clinical medicine.All proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to charitable initiatives that support the community. Read more