Postoperative pain control in patients in the post-anesthesia care unit: a prospective observational study

Q2 Nursing

Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management Pub Date : 2025-04-10 DOI:10.1016/j.pcorm.2025.100490

Carlos Alberto Henao Periañez , Marcio Alexander Castillo-Díaz , Monica Andrea Morales García

{"title":"Postoperative pain control in patients in the post-anesthesia care unit: a prospective observational study","authors":"Carlos Alberto Henao Periañez , Marcio Alexander Castillo-Díaz , Monica Andrea Morales García","doi":"10.1016/j.pcorm.2025.100490","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>To analyze postoperative pain control in patients in the post-anesthesia care unit.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>This prospective observational study was conducted at a University Hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Preoperative, intraoperative, and anesthesia recovery health information were considered for their association with postoperative pain control. Pain levels were measured using the verbal numeric scale (VNS, 0–10 points) from admission to discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit. The Pain Management Index (PMI, -3 to 3 points) assessed pain management adequacy. Descriptive statistics and an ordinal regression model identified associated factors, with a p-value < 0.05 considered significant.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The sample consisted of 226 patients. Upon admission to the post-anesthesia care unit, 5.8 % of patients reported moderate to severe pain (VNS ≥ 4). According to PMI, Pain was adequately treated in 85.4 % of patients (PMI ≥ 0). However, at the time of discharge, 22.1 % of patients reported moderate to severe pain (VNS ≥ 4). Regression analysis showed that inadequate pain management (OR = 9.97, <em>p</em> < 0.01) and the presence of anxiety or depression (OR = 3.89, <em>p</em> < 0.01) significantly increased the odds of experiencing higher levels of pain. The coexistence of anxiety and depression was associated with a greater risk of high levels of pain (OR = 9.29, <em>p</em> < 0.01). On the other hand, age (being older) was a protective factor (OR = 0.97, <em>p</em> = 0.046).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study found that a significant proportion of patients suffer moderate to severe postoperative pain. The results of this study may contribute to more effective postoperative care for patients with the risk factors identified in this research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53468,"journal":{"name":"Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article 100490"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405603025000317","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Nursing","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

To analyze postoperative pain control in patients in the post-anesthesia care unit.

Method

This prospective observational study was conducted at a University Hospital in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Preoperative, intraoperative, and anesthesia recovery health information were considered for their association with postoperative pain control. Pain levels were measured using the verbal numeric scale (VNS, 0–10 points) from admission to discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit. The Pain Management Index (PMI, -3 to 3 points) assessed pain management adequacy. Descriptive statistics and an ordinal regression model identified associated factors, with a p-value < 0.05 considered significant.

Findings

The sample consisted of 226 patients. Upon admission to the post-anesthesia care unit, 5.8 % of patients reported moderate to severe pain (VNS ≥ 4). According to PMI, Pain was adequately treated in 85.4 % of patients (PMI ≥ 0). However, at the time of discharge, 22.1 % of patients reported moderate to severe pain (VNS ≥ 4). Regression analysis showed that inadequate pain management (OR = 9.97, p < 0.01) and the presence of anxiety or depression (OR = 3.89, p < 0.01) significantly increased the odds of experiencing higher levels of pain. The coexistence of anxiety and depression was associated with a greater risk of high levels of pain (OR = 9.29, p < 0.01). On the other hand, age (being older) was a protective factor (OR = 0.97, p = 0.046).

Conclusion

Our study found that a significant proportion of patients suffer moderate to severe postoperative pain. The results of this study may contribute to more effective postoperative care for patients with the risk factors identified in this research.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Perioperative Care and Operating Room Management Nursing-Medical and Surgical Nursing

CiteScore

1.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

56 days

期刊介绍： The objective of this new online journal is to serve as a multidisciplinary, peer-reviewed source of information related to the administrative, economic, operational, safety, and quality aspects of the ambulatory and in-patient operating room and interventional procedural processes. The journal will provide high-quality information and research findings on operational and system-based approaches to ensure safe, coordinated, and high-value periprocedural care. With the current focus on value in health care it is essential that there is a venue for researchers to publish articles on quality improvement process initiatives, process flow modeling, information management, efficient design, cost improvement, use of novel technologies, and management.