Acute Pain SIG Executive

 The Executive composition is as follows:

Dr Meredith Craigie                  SA

Dr Lachlan Doughty                  Tas

Dr Richard Halliwell                  NSW

Dr Steve Jones (Chair)            NZ

Dr James Sartain                      Qld

Prof Stephan Schug                  WA

Dr Grant Turner                        WA

 Our triennial elections are due to be held at our AGM in 2006. This will be in association with the Adelaide ASM.  Calls for nominations will be sent to SIG members a couple of months beforehand.  It is hoped that there will be a nomination to represent the State of Victoria.

Change in Executive Membership

Dr Colin Goodchild resigned from the executive while serving as chairman and Dr Steve Jones (NZ) was asked to stand and duly elected in his place.  Dr Martina Meyer-Witting (Qld) has also resigned following a change in work commitments with a reduction in formal commitments to acute pain management.  Both are thanked for the work they have done on behalf of the SIG.

Continuing Education Activities

ANZCA ASM Auckland 2005

 The SIG session in Auckland opened with an analysis of two beleaguered analgesic modalities:  Prof Schug reviewing the advantages of epidurals and Dr Jones examining the adverse but also beneficial cardiovascular effects of  NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors.  Dr Brian Anderson, despite his responsibilities as conference co-convenor, allowed himself to be prevailed upon to re-present his excellent paper on paracetamol.

 Dr Meredith Craigie conducted a PBLD on behalf of the SIG.

 Rural Advanced Specialist Training Scheme

 Dr James Sartain contributed a lecture on pain management on behalf of the SIG

ANZCA ASM Adelaide 2006

The SIG has expressed a desire to present a session at the Adelaide meeting.

Issues Arising

 The Executive is concerned about the effect that publicity of the adverse cardiovascular effects of the COX-2 inhibitors and indeed also traditional NSAIDs will have on our perioperative practice.  Dr Jones has published a defensive position in the September edition of the British Journal of Anaesthesia and has corresponded with regulatory authorities over the issue.

 STEVE JONES

Chairman