Abstract
BackgroundInadequate management of postoperative pain is common, and postoperative pain is a risk factor for prolonged pain. In addition to medical and technical factors, psychological factors may also influence the experience of postoperative pain.MethodsPain was measured postoperatively at 24, 48, and 72 hr in hospital and after 3 months at home in 140 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP). Patients answered questionnaires about anxiety and depression (HAD scale) and health-related quality of life (SF-36) at baseline and 3 months after surgery.ResultsIn the first 3 postoperative days, mild pain was reported by 45 patients (32%), moderate pain by 64 (45%), and severe pain by 31 (22%) on one or more days. High postoperative pain scores were correlated with length of hospital stay and with high pain scores at home. Forty patients (29%) reported moderate (n = 35) or severe (n = 5) pain after discharge from hospital. Patients who experienced anxiety and depression preoperatively had higher postoperative pain scores and remained anxious and depressed 3 months after surgery. The scores for the physical domains in the SF-36 were decreased, while the mental health scores were increased at 3 months. Anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with all domains of the SF-36.ConclusionThere is a need for nurses to be aware of the psychological status of RP patients and its impact upon patients' experience of postoperative pain and recovery. The ability to identify patients with psychological distress and to target interventions is an important goal for future research.
Highlights
Inadequate management of postoperative pain is common, and postoperative pain is a risk factor for prolonged pain
After approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden, patients undergoing Radical prostatectomy (RP) were recruited from two hospitals: a University hospital with two surgical units and a community hospital
Our study demonstrates that patients who experienced the highest postoperative pain levels had the longest hospital stay
Summary
Inadequate management of postoperative pain is common, and postoperative pain is a risk factor for prolonged pain. The morbidity associated with this procedure is quite low [1], inadequate management of postoperative pain is common [2,3,4,5]. Half of the patients who have an operation report moderate to severe pain after surgery [6], despite an increased focus on pain management programs and the development of new standards for pain management [4]. BMC Nursing 2006, 5:8 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6955/5/8 are a number of risk factors for prolonged pain after surgery, one of the most striking of which is, the severity of the acute postoperative pain [7,8]. Long-lasting pain is not generally encountered after RP, pain problems 3 months after surgery have been reported [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
