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Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18e
| Part 2. Cardinal Manifestations and Presentation of Diseases > Section 1. Pain > |
Chapter 11. Pain: Pathophysiology and Management
Sections: Pain: Pathophysiology and Management: Introduction, The Pain Sensory System, Chronic Pain, Further Readings.
Topics Discussed: pain; pain management.
Excerpt:"The task of medicine is to preserve and restore health and to relieve suffering. Understanding pain is essential to both of these goals. Because pain is universally understood as a signal of disease, it is the most common symptom that brings a patient to a physician's attention. The function of the pain sensory system is to protect the body and maintain homeostasis. It does this by detecting, localizing, and identifying potential or actual tissue-damaging processes. Because different diseases produce characteristic patterns of tissue damage, the quality, time course, and location of a patient's pain complaint provide important diagnostic clues. It is the physician's responsibility to provide rapid and effective pain relief...."
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