Acute Pain Functional Unit of a HLU (Health Local Unit): Creation, Development and Experience

Abstract

Introduction: Acute pain has a significant impact in the perioperative period and should be managed in a structured manner by dedicated units, in accordance with published guidelines.
We aimed to describe the activity of the Acute Pain Functional Unit (Unidade Funcional de Dor Aguda – UFDA) of the Tâmega e Sousa Local Health Unit (ULSTS).
Methods: Observational and retrospective study of the activity of the UFDA at ULSTS between 2019 and 2024.
Results: During this period, there was an increase in the number of referred patients, particularly in 2021 and 2022, while the average number of daily visits remained stable (10–11 per day). Most referrals were made in the perioperative period by anesthesiologists. In 2019, regional analgesic techniques/PCA with posterior management by the UFDA were performed in 9.7% of patients undergoing surgery in the central operating room. By 2024, 24.5% of surgical patients were referred. Collaboration between UFDA and the Intensive Care Department also showed an increase in consultation requests.
Conclusion: The UFDA team structure with anesthesiologist leadership, dedicated nursing personnel and liaison elements in various departments, allowed for an expanded response capacity, increasing patient referrals and improving their management efficiency. Ongoing collaboration between the UFDA and the Intensive Care Department has contributed to enhanced quality of care. Raising awareness among healthcare professionals regarding acute pain management helped the cost-effectiveness of this model. We believe that sharing experiences and practices between units will contribute to their continuous improvement and growth.