RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To examine the relation between emotional intelligence (the ability to understand and regulate feelings) and postoperative pain in patients who had undergone abdominal surgery. METHODS: In a prospective intra-subject design we studied 32 patients in a natural context in which they underwent digestive and urological surgery. We used a structured interview, psychometric tests, and two quantitative scales for evaluating pain. RESULTS: Results indicated a significant negative correlation between the variable repair of feelings and pain scores on both verbal and visual analog scales (p < 0.05). The pain scores on each scale were highly correlated (p < 0.01). Likewise, the score on the visual analog scale on the first postoperative day and the overall score correlated (p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicated a significant effect of clarity and repair of feelings on the perception of postoperative pain. CONCLUSION: Patients showing higher emotional intelligence scores (clarity and repair) assessed their postoperative pain as less intense.
