경북지역 준종합병원 입원환자들의 수술후 통증경험 실태조사

A Survey of Hospitalized Post-op Patients' pain Experience in Kyungbook Province Area

The author investigated the pain experience of 59 postoperative patients during their stay in hospital. Data were collected from three different hospitals in Kyungbook province area between July and August 1999. Results are summarized as follows. As for ratings of "worst pain" during the 24 hour period, 64% of the patients reported they had "severe" pain. As for ratings on "pain now," 27.2% of the patients reported "moderate to severe" pain Of 59 patients, only 5% reported complete pain relief after analgesic treatment, indicating undertreatment of pain control. In question of pain assessment, 84% of the respondents reported that medical staff verbally asked if they had pain during their stay in hospital, while 56% reported that medical staff asked if they relieved from the pain after analgesic medication. In conclusion, the results of patient's pain ratings and poor pain assessment by the medical personnel implied poor pain management.