International Association for the Study of Pain | Global Year Against Acute Pain

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the 2010-2011 Global Year Against Acute Pain campaign. This year, the IASP-sponsored initiative will draw attention to the persistent problem of acute pain, the most commonly experienced pain (e.g. surgery, childbirth, trauma). Although acute pain is treatable with currently available medications and techniques, a large gap between evidence and practice results in widespread under-treatment. I am calling on your voices to help address that gap by:

Disseminating information on acute pain throughout the world.
Educating not only pain researchers and clinicians within the 130+ countries that comprise the IASP membership, but also the larger global community of health care professionals who witness the problems associated with acute pain firsthand in their daily interactions with patients.
Increasing awareness of acute pain among government officials, media, and the general public worldwide.
Encouraging government leaders, research institutions, and other key decision-makers to support more research, ultimately producing more effective and accessible treatment methods and outcomes for people with acute pain.

Throughout the campaign, which will run through late October 2011, IASP members and chapters will organize meetings, symposia, patient-education events, publications, and many other efforts exploring different aspects of acute pain. In addition, IASP and its chapters will sponsor media efforts highlighting some of the challenges posed by acute pain (such as differences between individuals, why acute pain sometimes persists, and how simple and inexpensive methods can be effective if used appropriately).

I encourage you to get involved in any such activities planned in your area. Whether you help to plan and organize an event, deliver a talk related to acute pain, or attend a meeting to show your support, your participation is essential to the success of the Global Year Against Acute Pain. Please contact your local IASP chapter, or the IASP secretariat office at IASPdesk@iasp-pain.org, for more information on scheduled activities in your area and other ways to get involved.

Be sure to visit these Global Year web pages regularly, where you will find a series of fact sheets focusing on many topics and issues surrounding acute pain—furnished in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and other languages. The fact sheets, campaign posters, logos, and other resources are available to all at no cost. In December, IASP will introduce a discussion forum on the topic of acute pain—a forum for all IASP members who want to participate in learning about research and treatment for acute pain. You can also register to receive Global Year Updates (via email) with the latest news and campaign resources.

With everyone’s support and active participation, we can do much to minimize the pain and suffering of those experiencing acute pain. IASP would also like learn of real success stories where chapters or hospitals have made special efforts and improved the management of acute pain. Let’s make this a great year!

Kind Regards,
E. Kalso
Eija Kalso
IASP President

Why Acute Pain?

In the United States alone, nearly 100 million surgeries take place annually. More than 80% of these surgical patients report postoperative pain. Over 70% of emergency department visits are due to pain; acute headache alone accounts for 2.1 million of these visits. Despite substantial advances in pain research in recent decades, inadequate acute pain control is still more the rule than the exception. Numerous studies show that fewer than half of postoperative patients receive adequate pain relief. Patients arriving at emergency departments with significantly painful conditions fare no better, as emergency medicine physicians tend to underuse pain medications. Acute pain is also a common problem in family practice, sports medicine, and especially in internal medicine.

Though adequate acute pain treatment can improve patient quality of life and satisfaction with care, as well as enhance clinical resource management and reduce long-term costs of care, acute pain remains undertreated. The Global Year Against Acute Pain campaign aims to raise understanding of acute pain among the general public and bring to light the challenges clinicians face when treating acute pain.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to our Global Year Against Acute Pain Task Force: co-chairs Tim Brennan (USA), Henrik Kehlet (Denmark), Edmund Neugebauer (Germany), and Stephan Schug (Australia), with Daniel Carr (USA), Richard Chapman (USA), Jørgen Dahl (Denmark), Mary Korula (India), Heinz Laubenthal (Germany), Pam Macintyre (Australia), Winfried Meissner (Germany), Esther Pogatzki-Zahn (Germany), and Audun Stubhaug (Norway).