Background & Aims

Effective pain management is a significant public health issue given the large number of major surgeries performed worldwide each year. [1] Approximately 240 million patients undergo inpatient or outpatient procedures annually, yet pain prevention and relief after surgery are often suboptimal. [2] [3] This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitude of healthcare providers in Zaria regarding perioperative pain prevention and management, six months after training on the topic. Outcomes from this research may highlight opportunities to reinforce learning over longer periods and further optimize care for surgical patients.

Methods

This prospective study was conducted among physician anaesthetists, surgeons, nurse anaesthetists, and perioperative nurses in May 2023. Ethical approval was obtained from the hospital’s Health Research and Ethics Committee. The trainee’s data collected include demographic variables, training feedback, and knowledge scores on perioperative pain prevention and management. Questionnaires were administered to the trained healthcare professionals from February to October 2022. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 27 and expressed as numbers and percentages, with a 95% confidence interval for the mean.

Results

A total of 57 questionnaires were retrieved out of 60 distributed. There were sixteen male physician anaesthetists with an average age of 49±5.14 years, and four female physician anaesthetists aged 38±2.06 years. Their post-training assessment scores averaged 78.82±6.41, with a p-value of 0.84. The surgeons scored an average of 77.68±4.82 with a p-value of 0.59. Nine were males aged 52±3.21 years old, while three were females aged 42±1.56 years old. Nurse anaesthetists scored an average of 68.62±3.58 with a p-value of 0.28. Two were males aged 55±3.06 years old, while eight were females aged 49±3.06. Perioperative nurses scored an average of 70.48±1.99 with a p-value of 0.54. There was one male aged 53±3.06 years old and fourteen females aged 48±4.41 years old. Most participants offered the feedback that they had acquired more knowledge on pain assessment and management. They further stated that there should be regular pain management training and practical demonstrations using manikins.

Conclusions

The trainees demonstrated a significant retention of knowledge regarding perioperative pain prevention and management six months following their training. However, regular continued education is needed to ensure practitioners stay up-to-date on emerging trends and advances in evidence-based perioperative pain management protocols.

References

1. Eshete MT, Baeumler PI, Siebeck M, et al. Quality of postoperative pain management in Ethiopia: a prospective longitudinal study. PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0215563

2. Weiser TG, Regenbogen SE, Thompson KD, Haynes AB, Lipsitz SR, Berry WR, Gawande A. An estimation of the global volume of surgery: a modelling strategy based on available data. Lancet 2008;372:139–44.

3. Gan JT. Poorly controlled postoperative pain: prevalence, consequences, and prevention. J Pain Res 2017;10:2287–98.

Presenting Author

Saidu Yusuf Yakubu

Poster Authors

Saidu Yusuf Yakubu

MBBS, FWACS

Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, Nigeria

Lead Author

E-mail

Topics

  • Models: Acute Pain