Factors affecting the assessment of postoperative pain: a literature review

The report of the Royal College of Surgeons and College of Anaesthetists has stimulated much interest in the relief of pain following surgery. Despite the development of new techniques such as patient controlled analgesia, pre-emptive analgesia and complementary techniques that have helped to improve the situation, the role of pain assessment remains central. This literature review discusses the standard of nurses' assessment and looks at the factors suggested to influence nurses' assessment of pain.