Having a thorough understanding of the physical and psychological impact of pain is a basic foundation for critical care nursing practice. The complexities of the physical and emotional challenges of critical illness on patients and their families can make pain difficult to evaluate and manage in the critical care environment. Compact Clinical Guide to Critical Care, Trauma, and Emergency Pain Management is a concise, easy-to-read resource for nurses who want to reinforce their foundational knowledge in this area.

The book begins with an overview of the patho-physiology of pain and the various theories related to the experience of pain. Then the authors review the assessment strategies for evaluating critically ill patients’ pain experience through the presentation of valid and reliable assessment scales. Each chapter ends with a short case study followed by some questions to consider.

The heart of the book addresses the therapies used to manage critically ill patients’...

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