title: Postoperative Analgesic THerapy Observational Survey (PATHOS): a practice pattern study in 7 central/southern European countries.
abstract: Surveys evaluating pain in hospitals keep on showing that postoperative pain (POP) remains undertreated. At the time when guidelines are edited and organisational changes are implemented, more recent data are necessary to check the impact of these measures on daily practice and needs for improvement. This prospective, cross-sectional, observational, multi-centre practice survey was performed in 2004-2005 in 7 European countries. It was conducted in surgical wards of a randomised sample of hospitals. Data on POP management practices following surgery in adult in-patients were collected anonymously via a standardised multiple choice questionnaire. Among 1558 questionnaires received from 746 European hospitals, 59% were provided by anaesthetists and 41% by surgeons. There are no regular on-site staff training programmes on POP management in the institution for 34% of the respondents, patients are systematically provided with POP information before surgery for 48% of respondents; balanced analgesia following major surgery and regular administration of analgesics are largely used; 25% of respondents have specific written POP management protocols for all patients in their ward; 34% of respondents say that pain is not assessed and 44% say that pain scores are documented in the patient's chart. This largest ever performed survey confirms the extensive body of evidence that current POP management remains suboptimal and identifies needs for improvement on European surgical wards. However, the wide use of balanced analgesia and the regular administration of analgesics are indicators of ongoing change.
authors: AP-HP, Hôpital de Bicêtre, Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, F-94275 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre cedex, France. dan.benhamou@bct.aphp.fr
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Benhamou
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Berti
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Brodner
authors: Jose
authors: J
authors: De Andres
authors: Gaetano
authors: G
authors: Draisci
authors: Mariano
authors: M
authors: Moreno-Azcoita
authors: Edmund A M
authors: EA
authors: Neugebauer
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Schwenk
authors: Luis Miguel
authors: LM
authors: Torres
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Viel
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010820:Physicians / Q000639:trends; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000639:trends; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics