Evidence-based clinical practice manual: Postoperative complications management

Introduction: Despite advances in perioperative management, acute pain and postoperative nausea and vomiting continue to be significant complications worldwide. The frequency and the implications of these complications for the process of recovery impact clinical findings, patient quality of care, and hospital costs. Materials and methods: A search and systematic review of the literature after 2011 was conducted. Three international guidelines were selected and they were paired-rated for quality using the AGREE II tool. Management recommendations, adjusted to the Colombian setting, were adopted on the basis of expert consensus, using the Delphi methodology. Results: Recommendations were generated for adult patients based on the international pain management guidelines for acute pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and transfer of critically ill patients. Some of the recommendations are of general nature while others are specific for particular situations. They were all adapted to the Colombian context, bearing in mind the use of drugs which have not received approval from the healthcare authorities or which are not included in the Mandatory Healthcare Plan.Conclusions: Updating and standardizing clinical management recommendations based on the literature on international guidelines is a useful process, provided it is adapted to the national context. This process and its outcome may be useful for healthcare providers and has a positive effect on patient safety, practitioner performance and efficient use of resources.