Pain control after routine dento-alveolar day surgery: a patient satisfaction survey.
OBJECTIVE
An audit study which examines patient's opinions on the efficiency of two analgesic regimes prescribed to them following dento-alveolar surgery in our Day Unit.


METHODS
Single centre prospective study.


METHODS
Oral Surgery Day Case Unit


METHODS
One-hundred-and-seventy-four adults undergoing routine dento-alveolar surgery under general anaesthetic were asked to assess their pain control (on a five point scale) 1 hour after surgery, at discharge from hospital and at 24 and 48 hours post-operatively. Post-operatively, patients received ibuprofen 400 mg three times daily for five days or two tablets of paracetamol 500 mg with codeine 30 mg six hourly for 5 days if they were allergic to aspirin or were asthmatics sensitive to aspirin. Patients were not given local anaesthesia intra or post-operatively.


RESULTS
Completed records were obtained for 161 (93%) patients. Ibuprofen was apparently adequate in controlling pain for 147 out of 161 patients but on further questioning 42 of these patients took supplemental analgesics and self-prescribed paracetamol or a paracetamol combination. Thirteen patients who were prescribed paracetamol with codeine had adequate pain control and did not take supplemental analgesics. One patient did not require any analgesics post-operatively


CONCLUSIONS
Telephone contact with patients 24 and 48 hours post-surgery provides a valuable assessment of pain control following discharge from a day surgery unit. Ibuprofen offered satisfactory control of pain for 65% (95) of patients who underwent routine dento-alveolar surgery. Discharge prescriptions must be given with verbal and written instructions to ensure that patients take the correct dose and self-prescription is within safe doses.
Joshi
A
A
Department of Dental Medicine & Surgery, University Dental Hospital of Manchester. Ameeta.Joshi@man.ac.uk
Snowdon
A T
AT
Rood
J P
JP
Worthington
H V
HV
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003061:Codeine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019230:Dental Audit; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D004338:Drug Combinations; D000082:Acetaminophen; D003061:Codeine; D007052:Ibuprofen