Page 197 - COMMUNITY PHARMACY PRACTICE
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02/04/2024
398
PAIN
MANAGEMENT:
What is the
WHO
pain
ladder?
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THE PAIN LADDER
¨ The pain ladder is a term originally coined by the WHO to
describe a method of controlling pain.
¨ It was originally described for the management of ……. pain,
but is now widely used by medical professionals for the
management of all types of pain.
¨ The general principle in pain management is to start at the
……..of the ladder, and then to climb the ladder if pain is still
present.
¨ The medication range from household, over-the-counter drugs
with minimal side-effects at the lowest rung to powerful opioids.
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