Standardised analgesia packs after day case orthopaedic surgery.

Two of the advantages of day surgery are less disruption to patients' lives and the comfort of recovering at home. However, despite advances in analgesic and anaesthetic techniques, pain following day surgery is not well managed: recent studies have shown that between 30-60% of patients suffer moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours after discharge home following day surgery (Beauregard et al 1998, McGrath et al 2004, Pavlin et al 2004). A significant proportion of patients (25-30%) continue to report pain of this severity at seven days following day surgery (Beauregard et al 1998, Watt-Watson 2004). This article reviews published studies of patient experiences of pain and analgesia consumption after day case surgery and provides a model for the introduction of standardised take-home analgesic packs.