Pain in surgical patients: perception, assessment and predictors

ABSTRACT

Two hundred patients scheduled for abdominal surgery and the nurses responsible for their postoperative care were included in the study. The Chamber Price Modified Pain Scale [CPMP] after certain modifications, Standardized Linear Scale and a checklist derived from [CPMP] were the tools of the study. The research findings revealed that the nurses underestimated the patients' pain intensity in 33% and 68% of cases, respectively. Furthermore, the mean pain score was higher among females and unmarried patients with lower abdominal incision. A great discrepancy was found in relation to age, previous surgical experience and type of operation. A multiple regression analysis for the variables considered as potential predictors of the patients pain perception revealed that unmarried females who are worried and irritable and exhibit facial expression are the overall predictors of the patient's pain intensity postoperatively