The roles of pain catastrophizing and anxiety in the prediction of postoperative pain intensity: a prospective study.
OBJECTIVE
This study was a prospective investigation of the extent to which psychologic variables could be predictive of postoperative pain. Study aims were: 1) to evaluate whether an assessment of pre-operative distress factors could predict the intensity of postoperative pain; and 2) to characterize the unique pattern in which anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores relate to postoperative pain.


METHODS
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 38 patients scheduled for elective abdominal surgery. The questionnaires were completed on the day of admission, a day before the operation. On day 1 and day 2 following the operation, perception of pain intensity at the surgical wound was assessed by visual analog scale.


RESULTS
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores were significantly correlated with the postoperative pain scores. A linear regression analysis showed that Pain Catastrophizing Scale predicted the level of postoperative pain intensity even after controlling for state anxiety and that trait anxiety was not a significant predictor. In addition, analysis of the unique pattern of each predictor related to postoperative pain intensity indicated a linear curve for the Pain Catastrophizing Scale and curvilinear curve for the state anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
The results are discussed in light of appraisal and coping theories. It is suggested that a simple assessment of preoperative catastrophizing tendency and anxiety scores may assist medical teams in postoperative pain management.
Granot
Michal
M
Faculty of Health and Welfare Studies, School of Nursing, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. granot@research.haifa.ac.il
Ferber
Sari Goldstein
SG
D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic