The Prevalence of Pain in the First 24 Hours After Surgery: A Multicenter Study

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Surgical Outcomes
• Healthcare Research

Background:

• Postoperative pain is a significant concern affecting patient recovery and satisfaction.
• Effective pain assessment is vital for implementing appropriate management strategies.
• Understanding pain prevalence and severity is key to improving postoperative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and severity of postoperative pain within the first 24 hours after surgery.
• To underscore the importance of systematic postoperative pain assessment.
• To provide data on pain experiences across different surgical types.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, point prevalence study involving 898 patients across 10 Turkish hospitals.
• Data collected via researcher-developed questionnaire and Revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire.
• Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis-H tests.

Main Results:

• General surgery (31.8%), gynecologic surgery (12.9%), and orthopedic surgery (12.7%) were the most common procedures.
• The mean lowest pain level reported was 3.90 ± 2.94, and the mean highest pain level was 6.38 ± 4.45.
• Significant variations in pain levels were observed, necessitating individualized pain management.

Conclusions:

• Postoperative pain is subjective and influenced by numerous factors including surgery type, anesthesia, and patient characteristics.
• Pain experience varies significantly among individuals, emphasizing the need for personalized care.
• Effective pain assessment and management are critical components of quality postoperative care.