Post-operative pain: the impact of prescribing patterns on nurses' administration of analgesia.

Full Abstract

In the past 30 years, significant improvements have been made in the management of children's pain, with most children receiving analgesia post-operatively. However, the amount of analgesia administered to children after surgery varies depending on a number of factors. AIMS: To measure the difference between what children are prescribed for analgesia post-operatively and what they are administered in the first 24 hours following surgery and to explore the influence of the analgesic being prescribed 'as required' or regularly. METHOD: A retrospective chart review of 175 children was carried out at a children's hospital and a paediatric unit in a large teaching hospital. The analgesics that were administered in the first 24 hours post-surgery were morphine, codeine, diclofenac, ibuprofen and paracetamol. RESULTS: Each analgesic that was prescribed was administered in decreasing amounts relative to the strength of the analgesic. The highest percentage given was of paracetamol. When the prescription was for regular paracetamol, it was administered by nurses 88 per cent of the time, whereas when it was prescribed on a pro re nata (prn) or as required basis, 77 per cent of prescribed paracetamol was given. When analgesics were prescribed regularly, children had a considerably greater chance of receiving the analgesic. CONCLUSION: Nurses need to be more responsive to children in pain and acknowledge the value of prn prescribing of analgesics for children post-operatively. There is a need to increase nurses' confidence in assessing and responding to children's pain.

Author information

Author/s: Simons, Joan (J); Moseley, Laurence (L);

Affiliation: Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, Thames Valley University.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article

Journal: Paediatric nursing (Paediatr Nurs), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Oct; vol 20 (issue 8) : pp 14-9

Dates: Created 2008/11/04; Completed 2009/01/09;

PMID: 18980034, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MeSH Headings (categories) shown below.

Note: Bold headings indicate primary MeSH headings or qualifiers.

Associated Chemicals: Analgesics (0) ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (0) ; Acetaminophen (103-90-2) ; Diclofenac (15307-86-5) ; Ibuprofen (15687-27-1) ; Codeine (76-57-3)

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