Postoperative pain in patients with cleft lip and palate in Srinagarind Hospital

Srinagarind Hospital has about 150-200 cases of patients with cleft lip and cleft palate each year. The operating process requires continuity of care involving a multidisciplinary team. When the patients go to hospital to undergo operation, pain is one of the most important symptoms to try and control effectively. During pre and post operative care nurses who work continuously and closely with the patients are the best persons to assist with pain relief. They need to have knowledge, experience and ability to take excellent care about pain control as well as having to have continuing assessment and selection of pain measurement tool. They can then better help to relieve patients pain, decrease parents stress and encourage better cooperation.

To the present study pain score level in patients with cleft lip cleft palate during the 24 hour period after operation.

This is the retrospective descriptive study. Data was collected from medical records. 86 Medical records of the patients with cleft lip cleft palate who were admitted in 3c ward between January to December 2010. Medical Records were purposively selected for the study and recorded with a data collection form.

39% of patients after cheiloplasty and 55.6% of patients after palatoplasty received painkillers before leaving operating room, 29.29% of patients after cheilopalsty and 15.50% of patients after palatoplasty had severe pain immediately in ward. 48.8% of patients after cheiloplasty have moderate to severe pain at the 4th hour. Pain score was less when longer time after operation. Only 7.3% have pain after the 16th hour and pain finish after the 20th hour after operation. 51.1% in patients after palatoplasty have moderate to very severe pain at the 4th hour and 15.6% have moderate to very severe pain still occurring until the 24th hour.

Some of the patients with cleft lip and palate after operation received painkillers before leaving operating room. Pain score immediately at ward is severe to very severe pain. 22.09% of patients after cheiloplasty and palatoplasy have moderate to severe pain at the 4th hour. For patients after cheiloplasty pain will continue until the 16th hour after operation, but patients after palatoplasty pain will continue more than 24 hours.