Comparative analysis of visual analogue scale and the new scale of efficacy and safety of postoperative analgesia for orediction of pain during the early postoperative period

Abstract

Modern postoperative analgesia - is an individual selection of optimal doses of analgesics in order to obtain high efficiency of analgesia with minimal side effects. The quality and safety of postoperative pain is largely dependent on the severity of pain immediately after the operation. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of visual analogue scale (VAS) and the new scale of efficiency and safety (ESS) of postoperative analgesia in predicting of the severity of pain and postoperative complications. The study was conducted in 209 patients (mean age (66-77) years), in which a major surgery on the abdominal organs were routinely performed. Patients were randomized into two groups, depending on the method of evaluating of the quality of analgesia: in group 1 is controlled via ESS (n = 102), the 2nd group - by VAS (n = 105). Postoperative complications were recorded: nausea and vomiting, respiratory failure (need for noninvasive or invasive ventilation), delirium, cardiac arrhythmias, ileus. ESS and VAS demonstrated good prediction of the effectiveness of pain relief (AUROC 0,973, [0,913-0,996] and 0.976 [0,913-0,997], respectively). ESS showed a good prediction of the complicated postoperative period (AUROC = 0,924, [0,856-0,967]), as opposed to the VAS (AUROC = 0,649, [0,548-0,741]). Baseline ESS and VAS score equally effective in predicting the intensity of pain in the early postoperative period. ESS advantage, compared to VAS, is the ability to predict complicated postoperative period and postoperative complications. ESS score for more than 17 is a risk factor for postoperative complications associated with inadequate analgesia.