neurologic disorders
Evaluation of Pain
Patients receiving neuromuscular blockade
No validated instruments are available to assess pain when neuromuscular blockade is used to facilitate mechanical ventilation. If the patient is given a sedative, the dose can be adjusted until there is no evidence of consciousness. In such cases, specific analgesics are not needed. If, however, the patient is sedated but continues to have evidence of consciousness (eg, blinking, some eye movement, response to command), pain treatment should be considered based on the degree of pain usually caused by the condition (eg, burns, trauma). If a potentially painful procedure (eg, turning a bedbound patient) is required, pretreatment with the selected analgesic or anesthetic should be given. 