Pattern of analgesic use for post-operative pain relief among adult surgical patients in a tertiary care hospital

ABSTRACT

Background: Post-operative pain is an acute pain which if not adequately managed may lead to morbidity and complications. It can be controlled effectively by analgesics. It is essential to choose an analgesic with good efficacy and safety profile to avoid drug-related complications. Aims and Objectives: This study aims (i) to study the pattern of analgesic use for postoperative pain; (ii) to study the efficacy of the analgesic prescribed for post-operative pain; and (iii) to study the safety of the analgesics used for post-operative pain. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted for 3 months period. The pattern of analgesic use for post-operative pain was studied in 110 patients. The influence of sociodemographic factors, surgery related factors on pain assessment score, and patient satisfaction score was assessed. The safety profile of analgesics used was studied. Results: Post-operative was seen equally in both the genders and mean age of patients was 41 years. Diclofenac was the most common analgesic prescribed and intramuscular route was most commonly used. About 64% of patients were satisfied with their treatment and 94.55% of patients did not encounter any adverse effects. However, there was no association between various factors and pain assessment score and patient satisfaction score. Conclusion: Post-operative pain can be effectively managed by non-opioid analgesics like diclofenac which provide cost-effective treatment. Analgesic for post-operative pain should be chosen judiciously by considering patient-related and surgery-related factors for better post-operative pain management and to prevent post-operative complications.