Research areas

What is the best combination of drugs (analgesics), and for which patient populations? The goal is to achieve a safe and effective pain treatment after surgery. Our knowledge of the combination of various painkillers/analgesic methods and the long-term effects of such therapies is poorly investigated in the literature. It is, therefore, our goal to perform updated systematic review articles and large randomized, blinded, multicenter trials to elucidate the benefit and harm of postoperative analgesic treatments.

Ultrasound-guided nerve blockages are highly effective and an essential part of contemporary pain management. However, the accompanying possible muscle paralyzes can lead to impaired mobilization and increase the risk of falling, especially for blocks of the large locomotor nerves in the thighs and lower legs. Therefore, developing new and effective blockades with the least possible motor impact is an important focus. It is also essential to create recent blockades that target surgical procedures on the thorax, the abdomen, or the spine. It is also crucial that the blockade has a long-lasting effect and that we examine the treatment quality when the block ends. Therefore, investigation of adjuvant therapy that prolongs nerve blockages and the development of primary sensory nerve blocks are essential for this research area.

All chronic pain starts as acute pain. In most people, acute pain passes, but in 10-50%, chronic pain develops into moderate-severe pain in 2-10%. Today we do not know enough about who develops chronic pain and whether this can be prevented.

Patients with chronic pain pose a unique therapeutic challenge both in connection with operations and at home in everyday life. The Interdisciplinary Pain Center researches the treatment of chronic pain, e.g., within own coping with pain, reductions or downregulations of opioid treatment, and benefit and harm of cannabis treatment.

Critical illness with treatment in the Intensive Care Unit often has long-lasting psychological, physical, and cognitive impairments. Patients who experience intense delirium (confusion/hallucinations) are particularly vulnerable. Identifying patients with increased risk of delirium and prevention hereof and treatment and follow-up of such therapy. Today, treatment of delirium is not evidence-based, and our knowledge of the benefit and harm of the most used drug treatments is limited, which is a particular focus area for our research.

The department is a partner in CAG-Endotheliomics, and we participate in research into the endothelial cell (vessel wall cells) as a determining factor for treatment efficacy and prognosis following infections with septic shock.

Acute high-risk abdominal surgical patients have significant co-morbidities and increased mortality. In collaboration with the Surgical Department / Center for Surgical Science, we have participated as an essential partner in the OMEGA project that established and implemented “best practices” in treating these patients. Further, research into optimization and improvement of treatment of OMEGA patients is an essential focus for us.

The overall purpose of the Unit for Anaesthesiological Nursing Research is to initiate and facilitate research projects and clinical development of nursing issues involving nursing professionals. Furthermore, to ensure high quality, the research unit uses a systematic approach. The research unit strengthens the individual nurses’ opportunity to participate in and carry out research and development projects in the department. The research unit supports nurses with various backgrounds and positions, including clinical nursing specialists, nurses on the diploma, master’s programs, or Ph.D. programs.

The research unit focuses on the evidence-based development of clinical practice with a patient-centered perspective. This is of crucial importance to provide high-quality treatment and nursing in anaesthesiology departments in the future.