Multimodal balanced analgesia in the critically ill

Abstract

Pain is common but is often undertreated in critically ill patients. A multimodal balanced analgesic approach is recommended for the management of pain in these patients. Balanced analgesia uses combined analgesic regimens, thereby reducing the likelihood of significant effects from a single agent or method. It may include several different drugs given to prevent or aggressively treat continuous and breakthrough pain as well as pain from procedures.