SEVERITY AND IMPACT OF PAIN AFTER DAY-SURGERY

Purpose: To assess the intensity, duration and impact of pain after da y-surgery interventions, Predictors of pain severity were also evaluat ed along with the quality of analgesic practices and patient satisfact ion. Methods: Eighty-nine consecutive day-surgery patients completed s elf-administered questionnaires before leaving the hospital and at 24, 48 hr and seven days after discharge. The survey instrument was compo sed of 0-10 pain intensity scales, selected items of the Brief Pain In ventory, of the Patient Outcome Questionnaire and of the Barriers Ques tionnaire. Analgesic intake in hospital and be home was recorded along with the use of other pain control methods. Results: Forty percent of the patients reported moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hr after hospital discharge. The pain decreased with time but it was seve re enough to interfere with daily activities in a substantial number o f patients. The best predictor of severe pain at home was inadequate p ain control during the first few hours following the surgery. More tha n 80% of the participants were satisfied with their pain treatment. Ho wever, one patient in four (25%) needed contact with a health care pro vider because of pain at home. Many patients (33% to 51%) reported tha t instructions about pain control were either unclear or non-existent on sever?ll aspects. Medication use was low overall. Thirty-two percen t of the patients did not take any pain medication during the first 24 hr after discharge although almost half of them (46%) rated their pai n greater than or equal to 4. The most common concerns patients had ab out using pain medication were fear of drug addiction and side effects . Conclusion: The severity and duration of pain after day-surgery shou ld not be underestimated. Aggressive analgesic treatment during the ho spital stay should be provided along with take-home analgesia protocol s and comprehensive patient education programs.