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. 2023 Aug;12(4):1005-1015.
doi: 10.1007/s40122-023-00518-w. Epub 2023 May 18.

Virtual Pain Unit Is Associated with Improvement of Postoperative Analgesia Quality: A Retrospective Single-Center Clinical Study

Guanyu Yang #  1   2 , Shanshan Zuo #  1   2 , Pengfei Wang #  1   2 , Yue Yin  1   2 , Xiaowei Zhang  1   2 , Yanling Ma  1   2 , Gang Quan  1   2 , Yueli Zhang  2   3 , Xin Zhao  1   2 , Huan Qu  1   2 , Piao Zhou  1   2 , Xiaofei Zhang  1   2 , Huaibin Zhang  1   2 , Hongkai Lian #  4   5 , Qinjun Chu #  6   7   8
Affiliations

Virtual Pain Unit Is Associated with Improvement of Postoperative Analgesia Quality: A Retrospective Single-Center Clinical Study

Guanyu Yang et al. Pain Ther. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: Acute postoperative pain is a major concern among surgical patients. Thus, this study established a new acute pain management model and compared the effects of the acute pain service (APS) model in 2020 and the virtual pain unit (VPU) model in 2021 on postoperative analgesia quality.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center clinical study involved 21,281 patients from 2020 to 2021. First, the patients were grouped on the basis of their pain management model (APS and VPU). The incidence of moderate to severe postoperative pain (MSPP) [numeric rating scale (NRS) score ≥ 5], postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and postoperative dizziness were recorded.

Results: The VPU group recorded significantly lower MSPP incidence (1-12 months), PONV, and postoperative dizziness (1-10 months and 12 months) compared with the APS group. In addition, the annual average incidence of MSPP, PONV, and postoperative dizziness in the VPU group was significantly lower than in the APS group.

Conclusions: The VPU model reduces the incidence of moderate to severe postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness; hence, it is a promising acute pain management model.

Keywords: Acute pain service; Postoperative analgesia; Virtual pain unit.

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Conflict of interest statement

Guanyu Yang, Shanshan Zuo, Pengfei Wang, Yue Yin, Xiaowei Zhang, Yanling Ma, Gang Quan, Yueli Zhang, Xin Zhao, Huan Qu, Piao Zhou, Xiaofei Zhang, Huaibin Zhang, Hongkai Lian, and Qinjun Chu declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A schematic diagram of the VPU. Arabic numeral 1–18 represents hospital bed numbers in the ward. The numbers in red represent the patients that require postoperative analgesia. The red dashed box represents the VPU
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The VPU staff organizational structure
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The workflow of VPU staff
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Flow chart of study cohort selection
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Assessment of VPU group. A The incidence of MSPP per month in the two models, B the incidence of PONV per month in the two models, C the incidence of postoperative dizziness per month in the two models, and D the average annual incidence of MSPP in all sub-specialties of the two models. *P < 0.05. APS acute pain service, VPU virtual pain unit, MSPP moderate to severe postoperative pain, PONV postoperative nausea and vomiting, TESS transforaminal endoscopic spine surgery, OM oral and maxillofacial, ENT ear-nose-throat
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