How reliable is our memory for acute postoperative pain

Breme, K and Altmeppen, J and Taeger, K (2000) How reliable is our memory for acute postoperative pain. ANAESTHESIST, 49 (1). pp. 18-24. ISSN 0003-2417,

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Abstract

Objectiles: Clinicians use patients' reca II of pain as an important source of evidence both in diagnosis and in assessing improvements following treatment. Yet very little is known about the accuracy of these retrospective accounts up to now. Methods: We examined patients' retrospective evaluations of the pain they experienced at the first postoperative day and related these evaluations to the pain intensity which was recorded in the PCA-report. Results: We found that recall was moderately accurate. Patients mostly overestimated their pain intensity. We could demonstrate that patients who overestimated their pain differed significantly from those who did not. The patients who overestimated showed no significant pain relief over the first three postoperative days. Other influences were the pain intensity of the third day and patients' expectations of the postoperative pain intensity. Our results could be embedded within the theoretical framework of general memory research. Conclusions: We conclude that real-time evaluations of pain intensity should be recorded additionally to retrospective accounts. Retrospective ratings are important too, because we suggest that the memory of pain more than the experience of pain itself form the basis of patients' future decisions about treatment including their compliance and their satisfaction with pain management.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: PATIENTS EXPECTATIONS; INTENSITY; THERAPY; pain memory; acute postoperative pain
Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medical sciences Medicine
Divisions: Medicine > Lehrstuhl für Anästhesiologie
Depositing User: Dr. Gernot Deinzer
Date Deposited: 18 May 2021 11:22
Last Modified: 18 May 2021 11:22
URI: https://pred.uni-regensburg.de/id/eprint/42917

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