Evaluation of Post-operative Analgesia in the Immediate Post-operative Period of Recovering Patients

Abstract

Introduction:The incidence of post-operative pain is between 46% and 53% due to a lack of the use of analgesics. Up to 30-50% of operated patients present moderate-to-intense pain in the post-operative period. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate pain in the immediate post-operative period and to identify its association with schooling, surgery, anesthesia, and analgesia. Materials and methods: An observational, descriptive, and transversal study was carried out with a sample of 158 patients between 18 and 90 years old, in both genders of the recovery area. Inclusion criteria: Age 18-90 years, previous or post-surgical hospitalization, patients in the recovery area, and outpatients were included in the study. Exclusion criteria: Glasgow < 14 points and/or psychiatric patients were excluded from the study. A survey was conducted. Results: Our sample was 49.4% male and 50.6% female; 55 patients underwent abdominal surgery, 23 underwent trauma surgery, 22 underwent urological surgery, 19 underwent head surgery, 17 underwent gynecological surgery, 15 underwent reconstructive surgery, 4 underwent thoracic surgery, and 2 underwent vascular surgery. The incidence of pain was 45.6%. Of the total, 93.1% presented visual analog scale < 4. Conclusions: Almost half of the patients presented pain in the post-operative period; however, the pain was mild. There was a direct relationship between schooling and level of pain referred to by the patient. Less pain was reported with combined analgesia and, compared to other studies, there was a lower incidence of acute pain.