BACKGROUND: There are few studies evaluating the presence of pain in h
ospitalized patients. Different authors have suggested interest in epi
demiological studies to establish the characteristics of pain at a hos
pitalary level. The present study was initiated to determine the preva
lence of pain in acute and chronic patients admitted to hospital and t
o establish the relation of the pain with the prescription of analgesi
cs. METHODS: Pediatric, acute and chronic adult patients pertaining to
a hospital in Sabadell (Barcelona) were included in the study. Patien
ts from resucitation, ICU, neonatology and the emergency wards were ex
cluded. The variables studied were presence of pain and the existence
of analgesic prescription. The first was determined by interview with
the patient, while the second was obtained directly from the clinical
history. RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of the 217 adult patients with ac
ute pathology manifest pain and in 45 % of them total analgesics had b
een prescribed. The prevalence of pain was 61 % among the 41 pediatric
patients and 35 % among the 98 adults with chronic disease. Prescript
ion of analgesics was observed in 51 and 39 %, respectively in the abo
ve groups of patients. The relation between the presence of pain and a
ntialgic prescription was variable according to the groups. It must be
emphasized that 50 % of acute adult patients with pain did not have p
rescription of analgesics. Pain was present in all the pediatric patie
nts with some analgesic prescribed. Sixty-eight percent of the chronic
patients with prescribed analgesics also experienced pain. CONCLUSION
S: The prevalence of pain in the hospital environment is high, not onl
y in pediatric but also in adult and geriatric patients. The high numb
er of patients who do not receive analgesics despite pain and those in
whom the treatment does not totally erradicate the symptoms is of not
e. Analgesic therapy must acquire greater revelance in hospitalary ass
istance.