RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Preoperative fear of pain can increase the surgical stress response along with anxiety, increasing postoperative pain and the amount of analgesia consumption. AIMS: To determine the effect of preoperative fear of pain on postoperative pain level and analgesic consumption. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. METHODS: A total of 532 patients who were scheduled for a variety of surgical procedures in a tertiary hospital were included in the study. Data were collected using Patient Identification Information Form and Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III. RESULTS: 86.1% of the patients thought that they would experience postoperative pain, and 70% of the patients reported moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. The examination of the postoperative first 24-hour pain levels indicated that there was a significant positive correlation between patients' pain levels within 0-2 hours and their mean scores on the fear of severe and minor pain sub-dimensions and the total scale and between pain experienced within 3-8 hours and their scores on the fear of severe pain sub-dimension (p <.05). Also, a significant positive correlation was found between patients' mean scores on the total fear of pain scale and the amount of nonopioid (diclofenac sodium) consumption (p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The fear of pain increased patients' postoperative pain levels, and thus the amount of analgesic consumption. Therefore, patients' fear of pain should be determined in the preoperative period, and pain management practices should be initiated in this period. As a matter of fact, effective pain management will positively affect patient outcomes by reducing the amount of analgesic consumption.
Asunto(s)
Analgésicos , Diclofenaco , Humanos , Estudios Transversales , Analgésicos/farmacología , Analgésicos/uso terapéutico , Dolor Postoperatorio/tratamiento farmacológico , Miedo , Analgésicos OpioidesRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To evaluate the fear of surgery-related pain of patients in the preoperative period. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 419 patients who were scheduled for a variety of surgical procedures in a tertiary hospital were included. Data were collected using a Patient Identification Information Form and fear of pain was evaluated using the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III. FINDINGS: 50.8% of the patients were males with a mean age of 49.2 ± 17.3 years. A total of 88.8% patients had a fear of pain after surgery, and 89.3% of them had a moderate to severe fear of pain. 84.5% of female patients, 82.5% of literate patients, and 86.1% of patients who had previously experienced severe pain had a fear of pain of moderate to severe intensity (P < .05). The mean Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III score was 75.1 ± 20.2, and the most commonly identified fears were severe pain (30.64 ± 9.5), and medical pain (24.17 ± 7.7). Patients who had a higher score of fear of severe pain and medical pain were those who had experienced severe pain previously and those who believed that they would experience postoperative pain (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Almost all patients included in this study had a fear of moderate to severe postoperative pain while in the preoperative period. Nurses should question pain history with each patient, obtain a detailed pain history, and identify the degree of fear of pain in the preoperative period. Fear of pain should be reduced using necessary interventions and pain control should be maintained. Reduced fear of pain in the preoperative period may decrease postoperative pain and yield favorable patient outcomes.