Journal of Anesthesiology and Pain

Aim and Background: Evaluation and management of pain is an important issue in the intensive care unit and Limited research there is on clinical decision making in relation to the management of pain in patients with decreased level of consciousness. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a pain management program on pain management In patients with decreased level of consciousness of patients in intensive care units.

Methods and Materials: This study is a clinical trial across the two groups before and after and stage to stage design. In this study, 50 hospitalized patients with decreased level of consciousness in the intensive care unit selected sampling and randomly divided into two groups. Pain management program was implemented the patient's level of consciousness, to reach more than 8 (GCS), as or planned until 48 hours. For the control group implemented routine unit. With used of the adult non-verbal pain scale collected the pain intensity scores in two group in before and after of pain therapy.

Data were analyzed by SPSS (16) software. To describe the data, analytic statistics (independent t-tests, chi-square and ANOVA with repeated) were used.

Finding: Results showed that the mean pain intensity scores (after one stage) was significantly more in the control group than the experimental group after of implemented program, and the mean change in pain intensity scores in the experimental group using independent t-test Was significantly lower than control group (p=0/04). 

Conclusion: This study showed that with applying a pain management program can the pain controlled properly for patients with loss of consciousness after general surgery.