Don’t carry out the assessment of pain without using standardized scales in the immediate post-operative period.

Don’t carry out the assessment of pain without using standardized scales in the immediate post-operative period.

Type of practice

Other health practices

Age

Adult, Geriatric

Topic Area

Nursing

In many surgeries the administration of post-operative analgesic therapy is a standard practice. However, the pain previously perceived by the patient it is not always rated.If there is a prescription for a pain killer treatment “under condition”, i.e. with the possibility of opting for different active ingredients prescribed by shared interdisciplinary protocols, the choice should be guided by a systematic assessment of pain as a symptom.
The use of standardized scales (eg. Numerical Rating Scale and Visual Analogue Scale), allows to standardize the behaviors in this regard and encourages the choice of the treatment most suitable to the situation and the patient.
Where possible, the preoperative patient education is also important, as well as the assessment of pain before surgery.

Sources

1. Aubrun F, Marmion F. The elderly patient and postoperative pain treatment. Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol. 2007; 21(1):109-27.
2. Gkotsi A, Petsas D, Sakalis V, Fotas A, Triantafyllidis A, Vouros I, Saridakis E, Salpiggidis G, Papathanasiou A Pain point system scale (PPSS): a method for postoperative pain estimation in retrospective studies. J Pain Res. 2012; 5: 503-10.
3. Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Assessment e management of pain (third edition). Registered Nurses Association of Ontario; 2013.
4. Savoia G, Ambrosio F, Paoletti F et al. SIAARTI recommendations for treatment of postoperative pain. Minerva Anestesiol. 2002; 68(10):735-50.
5. Kehlet H, Jensen TS, Woolf CJ. Persistent postsurgical pain: risk factors and prevention. Lancet. 2006; 367(9522):1618-25.
6. Brennan F, Carr DB, Cousin M. Pain management: a fundamental human right. Pain Medicine 2008; 106, 1: 205-221.

Attention. Please note that these items are provided only for information and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a clinician. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their clinician.