Advancing Post-Operative Pain Management
A Best Practice Implementation Project
The International Association for the Study of Pain estimates that approximately 80% of individuals undergoing surgery in Australia experience post-operative pain, with its intensity peaking from the first to the fourth day after the procedure. Effective management of post-operative pain is crucial to prevent its progression into chronic pain, which can significantly impact a patient's quality of life.
Unmanaged post-operative pain not only impairs patient mobility but also predisposes individuals to complications such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia, leading to prolonged hospital stays and increased treatment costs.
Recognising the need for standardised practices in post-operative pain management, nurses play a pivotal role in assessing pain levels, monitoring treatment responses, and implementing non-pharmacological interventions.
Despite advancements in care, research focusing on implementing improvement initiatives remains limited. Drawing from evidence-based practices, an implementation project targeting post-operative pain management was undertaken in a reference centre in Brazil specialising in orthopaedic surgeries and trauma rehabilitation. Evidence-based recommendations included patient education, individualised treatment plans, thorough patient assessments, validated pain assessment tools, and multimodal analgaesia approaches.
The interdisciplinary team at the reference centre collaborated to implement these recommendations, recognising the critical role of effective pain management in facilitating patient recovery and reducing the likelihood of adverse events. Emphasis was placed on combining pharmacological interventions with non-pharmacological techniques to optimise pain control while minimising opioid-related complications.
By addressing post-operative pain management challenges head-on, the project enhanced patient outcomes and improved the overall quality of care provided in the surgical ICU. This project demonstrates that by incorporating evidence-based practices and implementing standardised protocols, healthcare organisations can enhance the quality of care provided to surgical patients, ultimately improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
Read about the best practice implementation project in JBI Evidence Implementation:
Moraes, Érica Brandão de; Antunes, Juliane de Macedo; Ferrari, Maria Fernanda Muniz; Fontes, Bárbara Ventura; Pereira, Renata Castro da Silva; Ogawa, Luciana; Daher, Donizete Vago Less
JBI Evidence Implementation. 22(1):16-25, February 2024.