Procedural Pain Management of Trauma Patients in Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Background: Pain management in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and their complications is critical. The study aimed to assess procedures type of pain control in patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU). Methods: This observational study was conducted on 400 trauma patients in ICU. The tool used in this study had three sections: In the first part, demographic variables, information related to trauma, and the type of painful procedures performed on the patient, were recorded. The second part was the measurement of the pain severity with the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT). The third part recorded the time of the pain assessment, methods of controlling pain in local anesthesia, and the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Results: There were male (78.2), with a mean age of 33.1 years. The most common procedure was tracheal suctioning (38.8). The patients showed mild pain intensity according to CPOT before the processes. Also, according to the Friedman test results, they experienced a significant increase in pain intensity during the procedure for all procedures. A total of 160 patients received pain-relief interventions, of which 157 cases received pharmacy and three received non-pharmacological interventions. Patients who treated their pain with the interventions experienced additional pain according to the CPOT criteria immediately after the procedure. Conclusion: Health services must be more active in pain management strategies for assessment of the pain intensity by proper tools to manage procedural pain appropriately. © 2021 The Author(s).