Pain and Pain Management in Cesarean Section under General Anesthesia

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to explore post-operation pain, pain management methods, and satisfaction in pain management among patients who have cesarean sections performed under general anesthesia. Symptom management was used as the conceptual framework by using the Symptom Management Model by Dodd and colleague. The sample consisted of patients admitted to a ward at Thasala Hospital, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. Research participants were recruited by the purposive sampling method. A total of 100 patients were surveyed. Data were collected via a demographics questionnaire, the pain management questionnaire developed by the researcher based on a literature review, the pain assessment (NRS) questionnaire was used to assess the pain management of patients in 24, 48, and 72 hours, as well as the patient satisfaction questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and the Friedman with Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc test.

Results indicated that the mean pain level of post-operative patients was high at 24 and 48 hours and lower at 72 hours after surgery ( = 8.3 SD 1.66,  = 5.52 SD = 1.51, = 3.71 SD = 1.97), respectively. The difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 268.89 p <.01). The pain management in the first 24 hours of a post-operative patient was resting at 75%. The effect of postoperative pain in the first 24 hours was sitting down at 7%. So in the first 24 hours, 75% of patients were prescribed bed rest to manage their pain and for 7%. Patients had a high level of satisfaction in pain management both in the recovery room and in the hospital ward at 77%, and 81% respectively.