Acute Pain Medicine: Show Me the Data

Abstract

This month in Pain Medicine researchers Duncan et al. ⇓ present their review of the emerging practice of acute pain medicine within the United Kingdom (UK) health system. The timeliness of this manuscript and topic is particularly poignant with the recent American Academy of Pain Medicine announcement of the creation of an Acute Pain Medicine Special Interest Group (http://www.painmed.org/acute/) and publication of the Group's mission statement in this journal ⇓. From a historic perspective perhaps it is understandable that both health systems would be exploring in greater detail the emerging pain medicine sub-specialty field of acute pain medicine. After all, the United States (US) and UK have been staunch allies during all of the major 20th century conflicts and that relationship has continued during the most recent conflicts. War, while representing the human species at its very worst, is a catalyst for medical change and innovation. In fact, the first US military acute pain service to serve wounded in the Afghanistan War was accomplished within a UK lead combat support hospital ⇓. I believe the collective experience both countries have gained in the past decade dealing with war casualties has highlighted the importance of …