Pre-operative analgesia for acute surgical patients: no place for complacency.

Pain is common in patients presenting with acute surgical conditions but there has been little discussion of the provision of pre-operative analgesia. This study analyses the pattern of pre-operative analgesic administration and questions the practices of the admitting medical officers in a district hospital. It shows that pre-operative analgesia is often omitted or that an unduly long time is taken to administer it. We suggest that this is an area worthy of audit.