[Pain management in surgical wards. Quality and solutions for improvement in the early postoperative period]

Abstract

Introduction: Following guidelines pain levels should not exceed a score of 3 on the visual analog scale (VAS 1-10). We were interested in the actual surgical pain management of the postoperative period and the potential influences of a nurse-controlled intravenous morphine administration (NCA) on its quality.

Methods: Interventional study: interview of patients and nursing staff and examination of records concerning pain treatment following surgery.

Results: The interviews were conducted with 110 patients before and 125 patients after the intervention program. Before the intervention, one-half of the patients noted that they were never asked about their pain intensity within the first 24 h after surgery. Only 42% of the records showed at least one VAS documentation. Every fourth individual experienced a pain intensity > 3 without having received a supplementary pain medication. Following the morphine intervention program, documentation of pain scores increased significantly (72%; p < 0.0001) and more patients were familiar with the VAS (64% vs 46%; p < 0.0004). Median maximum as well as actual pain at the time of the interview decreased by one point (VAS). The percentage of patients whose supplementary pain prescription was totally used showed a significant increase (p = 0.035). Following morphine administration, no single individual complained about an undue waiting time in comparison to 15% of patients previously. Even though the morphine intervention project caused more work for the nursing staff, 75% of the personnel were convinced that the procedure was worth this investment.

Conclusion: This data revealed a relevant deficiency of surgical pain management. Already basic instructions on pain management can significantly improve this treatment. Assigning additional authority to the nursing staff, such as a nurse-based intravenous opioid administration, can significantly raise the motivation of the personnel as well as the satisfaction of the patients involved.