[Pain in hospital: Assessing the pain situation in Austrian patients].
BACKGROUND
In a survey of all adult inpatients at the Wilhelminen Hospital in Vienna and the Klagenfurt Clinic on Lake Wörthersee, data on pain prevalence, the most frequent sites of pain, pain intensity, pain type, effect of pain on patients, pain evaluation on the various wards, pain precipitating factors, and patient satisfaction were collected.


METHODS
All inpatients > 18 years were questioned using a questionnaire developed by the investigators at the Department for Anesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine at the Wilhelminen Hospital.


RESULTS
A pain prevalence of 45.7% was found at the Wilhelminen Hospital and of 40.8% at the Klagenfurt Clinic. Women reported pain significantly more often than men. No significant difference was found between surgical and conservative treatment wards in terms of pain prevalence. Patients on conservative treatment wards reported significantly higher current pain intensity than those in surgical departments. The most common areas of pain were joints and bones. A score >3 in the ID pain questionnaire was reached by 8.8% (Wilhelminen Hospital) and 4.0% (Klagenfurt Clinic) of participants. Pain influenced mood, mobility, and nighttime sleep, and was intensified by the daily clinical routine.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, it was demonstrated that the majority of patients at both hospitals were satisfied with the pain management. However, pain management in conservative treatment disciplines must not be neglected. More intense current pain, a worse quality of life, and a trend toward lower patient satisfaction indicate that analgesic treatment in nonsurgical disciplines should be optimized.
Abteilung für Anästhesie, Intensiv- und Schmerzmedizin, Wilhelminenspital Wien, Wien, Österreich.
W
W
Jaksch
Abteilung für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstr. 11, 9020, Klagenfurt, Österreich. stefan.neuwersch@kabeg.at.
S
S
Neuwersch
Abteilung für Anästhesie, Intensiv- und Schmerzmedizin, Wilhelminenspital Wien, Wien, Österreich.
R
R
Reichhalter
Abteilung für Anästhesie, Intensiv- und Schmerzmedizin, Wilhelminenspital Wien, Wien, Österreich.
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B
Gustorff
Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegeschule, Wilhelminenspital Wien, Wien, Österreich.
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G
Handl
Abteilung für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstr. 11, 9020, Klagenfurt, Österreich.
M
M
Köstenberger
Abteilung für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstr. 11, 9020, Klagenfurt, Österreich.
W
W
Pipam
Abteilung für Anästhesie und Intensivmedizin, Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstr. 11, 9020, Klagenfurt, Österreich.
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R
Likar
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D059408:Pain Management / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Pain management; Pain prevalence; Pain survey; Quality of life; Satisfaction, patient