Knowledge and Attitudes of Anesthesia Staff on Pain in the Hospitals of Niamey

Abstract

Aim of the study: To assess the knowledge and attitudes of anesthesia staff on the management of pain in the hospitals of Niamey. Patients an method: This was a multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in five hospitals in Niamey (Republic of Niger) from July 3rd to December 3rd, 2021. Were been included in the study, all the anesthesia staff who agreed to answer the questionnaire. The variables studied were: age, gender, seniority, sector of activity and qualification, definition of pain, different types of pain, the impact of pain on the body, tools used for assessment of pain, difference between acute and chronic pain, knowledge about analgesics, the practical attitudes of pain management. The data were intered and processed with Epi info 7.2 software and the Microsoft Office 2019 pack. Results: Our study concerned 106 agents from the anesthesia and resuscitation department of the hospitals that served as our study framework. There is a female predominance of 55.42% with a sex ratio of 0.80. The 45-54 age group was the most represented with 40.07% of cases. The average age of respondents was 44.95 ± 8.9 years. Anesthesia nurses were the most represented with 90.36%. The operating theatre unit was the most represented sector of activity with 85.54%. All the respondents knew the definition of pain. The different types of pains were known by 45.78% of respondents. The most used pain scales were visual analog scale (VAS) and verbal descriptor scale (VDS) respectively in 53.01 % and 12.05 % of cases. Tramadol and paracetamol were the mostly used analgesics respectively in 98.80 % and 97.59%. Intravenous morphine titration was known to 67.47% of the respondents. Only 18.07% of the respondents benefited from a training on the management of pain. Conclusion: The knowledge and attitudes of anesthetists on pain deserve to be updated through theorical and practical training to improve the management of pain in our hospitals.