Evaluation of Patient’s Pain Assessment Format for Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

The efficiency of pain management depends on appropriate pain assessment. Postoperative pain assessment is done by acute pain service (APS) team; patients may also assess their pain scores with the help of a patient’s pain assessment format. The present study has evaluated the efficacy of patient’s pain assessment format by comparing it with pain assessment done by the APS team. Thirty-five patients undergoing abdominal surgery were enrolled in this study; postoperative pain assessment was done by patient’s pain assessment format and APS team for a period of 3 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pain score and the secondary outcome measures were postoperative nausea and vomiting, abdominal distension, pruritus, numbness, paresthesia, or weakness in the legs. Results were analyzed by the Mann–Whitney U-test and Fisher’s exact test. P <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Pain scores and incidence of side effects assessed by the patient’s pain assessment format were comparable to those assessed by the APS team; however, the first reading of pain scores after surgery assessed by the patient’s pain assessment format was significantly higher than that assessed by the APS team (P < 0.05). Pain scores assessed by the patient’s pain assessment format were comparable to the pain scores assessed by the APS team. Hence, we recommend the use of patient’s pain assessment format as a valid tool for the assessment of postoperative pain by the APS team.