Abstract

Although postoperative pain is highly frequent, its management remains inadequate. Fifty-five oncologic patients who had undergone surgical procedures were assessed about their pain experience and satisfaction with pain relief. The results showed that 78,2% had experienced pain in the first 24 hours of postoperative period. The mean intensity was 5.6; 58.3% experienced moderate pain and 27,1% severe pain. The short-form of the McGill Pain Questionnarie adapted to the Portuguese language, noticed that the affective dimension of pain was prevailing. Sleep, rest and movimentation in bed were the daily life activities most affected by pain. Association between NSAIDs and opioids was the most frequent (57%) and 45.5% of analgesics were ordered in around-the-clock method exclusively. The proportion of prescribed and actually received drugs by patients was 92% and 80% for around-the clock and "as need" prescriptions respectively. The intravenous route was prescribed in 57.8% of the cases, followed by intramuscular route (25%). Despite the high incidence and intensity of pain and the repercussion in daily life activities, 74.4% expressed satisfaction with their postoperative pain relief. This contradiction can be related with the belief that postoperative pain is inevitable.

Key words: postoperative pain, pain assessment, pain relief, acute pain