Postoperative Analgesia Management Evaluation in the Postanesthesia Unit: An Exploratory Analysis Based on Patient and Surgery Characteristics

Abstract

Purpose: Several methods have been proposed for postoperative pain management, including administration of opioid analgesics, epidural analgesia, and perineural and infiltrative techniques; however, data are lacking on the relationship between pain intensity, patients' age and gender, and surgery duration.

Design: Prospective, observational, single-center study.

Methods: The study included patients greater than or equal to 18 years old who underwent surgery with different anesthesia types, grouped according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status classification score. The McGill Pain Questionnaire was used to assess postoperative pain intensity. The postoperative pain evaluation was performed in the first 5 minutes on entering the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and at 30 minutes and 24 hours after the operation.

Results: Our results showed a significant negative relationship between pain intensity as assessed at 5 and 30 minutes postoperatively and age. Postoperative pain intensity at 24 hours was significantly lower after low-risk surgeries lasting up to 1 hour; pain intensity was also significantly lower at 30 minutes following epidural anesthesia. When nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were not administered in the PACU, pain intensity was significantly lower at 5 minutes, 30 minutes, and 3 hours.

Conclusions: Postoperative analgesic administration should be conducted in accordance with age and surgery type. Additionally, epidural anesthesia can reduce the immediate postoperative pain intensity.

Keywords: analgesics; anti-inflammatory agents; epidural anesthesia; pain intensity.