Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - The first “Hospital without Pain” was started in Seattle by John Bonica in the 1950s. But it only in 1992 that St-Luc Hospital Montreal (Canada) launched an international project which has the official support of the World Health Organisation and is now underway in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, United States and Italy.
The definition “hospital without pain” means evaluation and control of all pain, acute and chronic.
In Italy in September 2000, the health ministry set up a study commission to elaborate a project for a ‘hospital without pain’: an investigation involving twenty hospitals showed that pain was not sufficiently controlled.
Bambino Gesù Hospital is at present taking steps to evaluate and control pain. The hospital’s office launched a “towards a hospital without pain” project to investigate means of measuring and controlling pain. The main objective is systematic bedside measuring at least twice a day to give visibility of pain equal to other vital signs in view of therapy. Patient’s clinical report should include a pain chart alongside charts on temperature, pulse, weight etc.
At present an ad hoc work group is selecting a suitable pain intensity scale and defining general procedure for measuring and controlling pain for immediate use in various sectors of the hospital.
Bambino Gesu staff offers human and professional assistance to children patients and families to prevent pain or at least reduce it, and to take every measure to limit situations of fear, anxiety and stress. (AP) (8/11/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe:32 Parole: 376)
