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The prevalence of postoperative pain in a sample of 1490 surgical inpatients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2008

M. Sommer ,
J. M. de Rijke ,
M. van Kleef ,
A. G. H. Kessels ,
M. L. Peters ,
J. W. J. M. Geurts ,
H.-F. Gramke  and
M. A. E. Marcus
M. Sommer*
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Treatment, Maastricht, The Netherlands
J. M. de Rijke
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Treatment, Maastricht, The Netherlands
M. van Kleef
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Treatment, Maastricht, The Netherlands
A. G. H. Kessels
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and MTA, Maastricht, The Netherlands
M. L. Peters
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Medical, Clinical and Experimental Psychology, Maastricht, The Netherlands
J. W. J. M. Geurts
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Treatment, Maastricht, The Netherlands
H.-F. Gramke
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Treatment, Maastricht, The Netherlands
M. A. E. Marcus
Affiliation:
University Hospital Maastricht, Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Treatment, Maastricht, The Netherlands
*
Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Maastricht, PO Box 5800 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. E-mail: mso@sane.azm.nl; Tel: +31 433875458; Fax: +31 433875457
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Summary

Background and objective

To measure the prevalence of postoperative pain, an assessment was made of 1490 surgical inpatients who were receiving postoperative pain treatment according to an acute pain protocol.

Methods

Measurements of pain (scores from 0 to 100 on a visual analogue scale) were obtained three times a day on the day before surgery and on days 0–4 postoperatively; mean pain intensity scores were calculated. Patients were classified as having no pain (score 0–5), mild pain (score 6–40), moderate pain (score 41–74) or severe pain (score 75–100).

Results

Moderate or severe pain was reported by 41% of the patients on day 0, 30% on days 1 and 19%, 16% and 14% on days 2, 3 and 4. The prevalence of moderate or severe pain in the abdominal surgery group was high on postoperative days 0–1 (30–55%). A high prevalence of moderate or severe pain was found during the whole of days 1–4 in the extremity surgery group (20–71%) and in the back/spinal surgery group (30–64%).

Conclusion

We conclude that despite an acute pain protocol, postoperative pain treatment was unsatisfactory, especially after intermediate and major surgical procedures on an extremity or on the spine.

Keywords

PAIN ACUTE AND POSTOPERATIVEGUIDELINESOUTCOME ASSESSMENTQUALITY INDICATORS
Type
Original Article
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , April 2008 , pp. 267 - 274
Copyright
Copyright © European Society of Anaesthesiology 2007

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