Along with hypnosis and muscle relaxation, analgesia is one of the essential elements of the anaesthesia triad.

Although it is possible to eliminate responses to painful stimuli during surgery with a volatile agent alone, this would require a very deep level of anaesthesia. In practice, the anaesthetist uses a specific analgesic agent. Postoperative pain is common and it is the responsibility of the anaesthetist to prescribe analgesia appropriate for the surgery.

This introductory session covers:

• The intraoperative use of fentanyl, diclofenac and paracetamol
• Postoperative prescription of morphine, paracetamol and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen and diclofenac
• A brief description of each drug with information on doses, duration of action and side-effects