Postoperative pain assessment, at rest and—if possible—on movement, is strongly recommended, to improve patient management after emergency surgery. (2B)

Preemptive analgesia is a viable option in reducing postoperative opioid consumption. (2B) (moderate recommendation, intermediate quality evidence).

Adequate education for the patient and, if possible, of the family about the surgical and anesthesiologic treatment, options, plan, and aims of pain management should be performed whenever it is possible. (1B)

Perioperative pain management should be implemented considering patient history, comorbidities, ongoing chronic therapy, and potential risk for substance abuse. (1B)

Validated pain scales should be included into treatment planning, ongoing evaluation, and adjusting process. (1B)

Pain management should be adjusted to ensure the greatest effect and the lowest side effects possible. (1B)

Opiates usage should be reduced as much as possible in postoperative pain management strategies. (1B)

Multimodal pain management should always be considered to improve analgesia while reducing individual class-related side effects; a pharmacological stepup approach including major opiates when necessary should be adopted. (1B)

Whenever contraindications are absent, acetaminophen, NSAIDs (1A), and gabapentinoids administration (2B) are recommended in multimodal analgesia.

Acetaminophen administered at the beginning of postoperative analgesia may be better and safer than other drugs. (1B)