Pain management in day-case surgery

摘要

Day-case surgery is defined as a planned surgical procedure for which selected patients are admitted to hospital and discharged home the same calendar day. The Department of Health in 2000 set a target that 75% of all elective surgery should be undertaken as day-case procedures and subsequently the British Association of Day Surgery now lists >200 different surgical procedures suitable for day-case and short-stay units. Additionally, there is an increasing political, managerial, and clinical drive to also admit patients presenting with acute conditions requiring urgent surgery as day cases. Indeed, the National Health Service (NHS) Modernisation Agency states inpatient care should be the exception rather than the rule. Planned changes to admission policies are expected to release nearly half a million in-patient bed days each year, generating large savings for the NHS, while at the same time responding to patients' expectations of a modern, flexible healthcare service.