Postoperative pain. Does subcutaneous lidocaine spray relieve it? Can pain be predicted?

Postoperative pain is often a big problem after gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of the present investigation was two-fold; To see whether supplying of lidocaine spray in the surgical wound influences postoperative pain and to evaluate the role of patients and caring factors on the perception of postoperative pain. Sixty consecutive patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were randomized into a control or a treatment group. Pain relief, apart from lidocaine, was given according to routine. The methods included interviews, pain registration, on a visual analogue scale and registration of administered analgesics. No effect could be attributed to lidocaine. Nurses' ability to predict pain was unreliable, patients predicted pain better. Younger patients suffered greater pain than elderly. Preoperative anxiety correlated to postoperative pain, whereas malignant diagnoses did not. Most of the studied patients had considerable postoperative pain. Routines for postoperative pain relief should be improved.