[A national survey of postoperative pain management in Lebanon]

Postoperative pain relief in Lebanon is a public health problem because its coverage is insufficient.

A survey was performed with a questionnaire distributed to anaesthesiologists during the Lebanese national meeting of anaesthesia in May 2006.

A total of 106 out of the 230 distributed questionnaires were collected. The coverage of the postoperative pain is different in the university hospitals and others. A preoperative information and postoperative evaluation of pain are only performed by 26% of anesthesiologists. A multimodal analgesia is begun in the operative room or in postanaesthesist care unit for 92% of the patients. Only 71% of the anaesthesiologists have pumps for patient-controlled analgesia. Written protocols for postoperative analgesia are available in only 58% of the centres. Among anaesthesiologists, only 36% have an initial and/or continuous formation to treat the postoperative pain. The major obstacle for improvement of postoperative pain is the cost of such treatments, which must be supported by the patients.

Even if there is a good awareness of the importance to relieve the postoperative pain, important efforts must be done in this domain in Lebanon.