[Postoperative pain and emotional intelligence].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relation between emotional intelligence (the ability to understand and regulate feelings) and postoperative pain in patients who had undergone abdominal surgery.


METHODS
In a prospective intra-subject design we studied 32 patients in a natural context in which they underwent digestive and urological surgery. We used a structured interview, psychometric tests, and two quantitative scales for evaluating pain.


RESULTS
Results indicated a significant negative correlation between the variable repair of feelings and pain scores on both verbal and visual analog scales (p < 0.05). The pain scores on each scale were highly correlated (p < 0.01). Likewise, the score on the visual analog scale on the first postoperative day and the overall score correlated (p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicated a significant effect of clarity and repair of feelings on the perception of postoperative pain.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients showing higher emotional intelligence scores (clarity and repair) assessed their postoperative pain as less intense.
Carranque Chaves
G A
GA
Hospital Universitario "Virgen de la Victoria", Servicio de Cirugía General, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga (UMA). gcarranque@terra.es
Fernández Berrocal
P
P
Baena Capilla
E
E
Bazán Valadez
R
R
Cárdenas Ramos
B
B
Herraiz Salamanca
R
R
Velasco Querino
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies