Effectiveness of a nurse-led pain management model following TACE: a retrospective analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a nurse-led pain management model in patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for primary liver cancer. The model included four key components: (1) dynamic pain assessment using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS); (2) individualized non-pharmacological comfort interventions; (3) early mobilization support; and (4) patient education and post-discharge follow-up. The objective was to determine whether this structured nursing model could improve postoperative outcomes compared to conventional care. This retrospective study included 90 patients who underwent c-TACE for primary liver cancer at our hospital. Patients were divided into two groups: the control group (n = 45, May-July 2023) received standard care, while the experimental group (n = 45, August-October 2023) received the nurse-led pain management model in addition to standard care. NRS scores were recorded at 24 and 72 h postoperatively, and comfort, satisfaction, and complication rates were assessed on the day of discharge. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. At 24 h post-TACE, NRS scores showed no significant difference between the experimental (4.58 ± 1.12) and control (4.69 ± 1.05) groups (P = 0.648). However, by 72 h, the experimental group had significantly lower NRS scores (2.58 ± 0.79 vs. 3.62 ± 0.91, P < 0.001). Comfort and satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the experimental group (P < 0.01), while the overall complication rate was lower (P < 0.05). The nurse-led structured pain management model significantly improved pain control, patient comfort, and satisfaction while reducing postoperative complications. This scalable approach may serve as an effective adjunct to conventional postoperative care following TACE.