Analgesic use for postoperative pain: differences arise when comparing departments of surgery

Purpose The goal of the study is to analyse whether the analgesic therapy of postoperative pain during the first 2 days after surgery differs among the different surgical departments. Methods Patients were randomly chosen from among all those who underwent elective surgery. Characteristics of analgesic treatment (drug, dosage, schedule) and pain intensity were determined at the postoperative anaesthetic care unit and in the first and second postoperative days on the ward. All comparisons were carried out by surgical departments. Results Six hundred and twenty-three patients from six surgical departments were studied. Analgesic treatment orders varied greatly among the different departments,…