APOP

Acute Postoperative Pain

APOP:A quality improvement initiative

Feedback

A quality improvement initiative in collaboration with:

APOP

Local Coordinator– Insert name here

Local APOP Team– Insert names here

Hospital APOP contacts Insert Hospital Logo Here

APOP

Overview

• Aims and methods

• Best practice in acute postoperative pain management

• Feedback on audit of current practice

• Education and ongoing monitoring

APOP

Aims of APOP

To improve the quality of acute postoperative pain management by targeting three key areas:

1. Pain assessment – pre and postoperative

2. Analgesic prescribing – promoting safe and effective use of analgesics

3. Communication at the point of discharge – to the patient and the general practitioner (GP)

APOP

Best practice for management of acute postoperative pain#

1. Optimal postoperative pain management begins in the preoperative period

2. Measure pain regularly using a validated assessment tool

3. Ensure all postoperative patients receive safe and effective analgesia

4. Monitor and manage adverse effects

5. Communicate ongoing pain management plan to both patients and primary healthcare professionals at discharge.

Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence, 2nd ed, 2005, updated Dec 2007

Therapeutic Guidelines: Analgesic, Version 5, 2007

APOP

Methods

Quality improvement initiative– Ethics approval obtained (where necessary)

– Collect data (insert month/year here)

– Data entered into APOP e-DUE Audit tool provided by National Prescribing Service#

• ‘x’ patients (inpatient data)• Inpatient interview

– Evaluate data (insert month/year here)

• Reports generated– Feedback data (insert month/year here)

– Intervention/education

# NPS an independent organisation promoting quality use of medicines, funded by the Commonwealth

APOP

Inpatient Audit

APOP

Results: Patient Demographics

Audit 1(n =)

Audit 2(n =)

Median age (years)

Gender (female)

Data collection period: xxxx

Surgery Type:

APOP

Best practice: Optimal postoperative pain management begins in the preoperative period

Conduct preoperative patient evaluation:

• Ask about the patient’s pain history (e.g. ongoing/chronic pain issues, co-morbidities, concurrent meds, mood, cognition, coping strategies)

• Document in patient’s medical records

• Discuss pain management strategies and expectations of postoperative pain

Correll DJ. Bader AM. Hull MW et al. Value of preoperative clinic visits in identifying issues with potential impact on operating room efficiency. Anesthesiology,2006; 105(6):1254-9.

Shuldham C. A review of the impact of pre-operative education on recovery from surgery. Int J Nurs Stud 1999; 36:171-77.

APOP

Results: Preoperative measures

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Patients documented to have attended a pre-admission clinic

Patients documented to have received patient education

Patients documented to have been on regular analgesics prior to admission

APOP

Best practice: Measure pain regularly using a validated pain assessment tool

• Regular and routine assessment of pain will result in improved pain management

• The patient's own assessment is the most reliable• Measure pain scores both at rest and movement• Re-assess pain regularly• Document pain assessment measurements as part

of routine observations

Gould TH, Crosby DL, Harmer M et al. Policy for controlling pain after surgery: effect of sequential changes in management. BMJ 1992;305:1187-93.

Gordon DB, Pellino TA Miaskoskwi C et al. A 10-year review of quality improvement monitoring in pain management: Recommendations for the standardized outcome measures. Pain Management Nursing 2002; 3:116-30.

The Joint Commission. Pain Management Standards, 2001.

APOP

Results: Postoperative pain scores

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Patients with at least one pain score documented

Patients who had a pain score documented at rest and movement (in the same set of observations)

APOP

Best practice: Ensure all postoperative patients receive safe and effective analgesia

• Use a variety of approaches to improve analgesia and decrease dose of individual agents - ‘multimodal analgesia’

• When using analgesics on a regular basis have additional ‘prn’ medication available for breakthrough pain

• Use individualised doses at appropriate dose intervals and titrate to patient response

Romsing J, Moiniche S, dahl JB. Rectal and parenteral paracetamol, and paracetamol in combination with NSAIDs for postoperative analgesia. Br J Anaesth 2002;88:215-26.

Jin F, Chung F. Multimodal analgesia for postoperative pain control. J Clin Anesth 2001; 13:524-539.

Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence, 2nd ed, 2005, updated Dec 2007.

APOP

Results: Postoperative analgesic use

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Patients prescribed at least one opioid

Patients prescribed regular paracetamol

Patients with PRN analgesia only (excludes PCA/epidural)

Patients prescribed multi-modal analgesia

APOP

Results: Postoperative analgesic use

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Opioid alone

paracetamol alone

NSAID/COX-2 inhibitor alone

opioid + paracetamol

opioid + NSAID/COX-2 inhibitor

paracetamol + NSAID/COX-2 inhibitor

NSAID/COX-2 inhibitor + opioid + paracetamol

Other

APOP

Best practice: Monitor and manage adverse effects

• Monitor patient's prescribed opioids for respiratory depression and sedation - respiratory rate alone as an indicator of respiratory

depression is of limited value

- sedation scores are a more reliable indicator

• Monitor nausea and vomiting

• Monitor for other adverse events

Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence, 2nd ed, 2005, updated Dec 2007.

Therapeutic Guidelines: Analgesic, Version 5, 2007.

APOP

Results: Sedation scores

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Patients with at least one sedation score recorded (prescribed at least one opioid)

APOP

Results: Nausea and vomiting

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Patients with documented episodes of nausea and/or vomiting

Patients prescribed at least one antiemetic

APOP

Best practice: Communicate ongoing pain management plan to both patients and primary healthcare professionals at discharge

• Communicate pain management plan to patients and primary healthcare professionals at discharge

• Review analgesia requirements and consider relevant risk factors 24 hours before discharge

• If prescribing a strong opioid consider limiting quantity prescribed

• Prescribe drugs for symptomatic relief of side effects where necessary

Kable A, Gibberd R, Spigelman A. Complications after discharge for surgical patients. ANZ J Surg 2004; 74:92-7.

Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council (APAC). Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management. Canberra: Dept. Health and Ageing, 2005.

APOP

Results: Discharge medication & communication

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Patients prescribed at least one analgesic on discharge

Patients prescribed at least one new analgesic at discharge, not administered in the last 24 hours of hospital stay

Patients with documented pain management plan communicated to GP

Patients with documented pain management plan communicated to patient

Patients with documented pain management plan communicated to both the patient and GP

APOP

Best practice: Pain management plan at discharge

• List of all analgesics• Instructions on intended duration of therapy• Consumer-specific medicines information• Instructions for monitoring and managing side effects• Methods to improve function while recovering• Hospital contact person

Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council (APAC). Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management. Canberra: Dept. Health and Ageing, 2005.

APOP

Results: Pain management plan at discharge

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Documented pain management plan

Of these with:

drug name

dose & frequency

duration of therapy

all of the above

APOP

Inpatient Interview

APOP

Results: Experiences as reported by patient

  

Audit 1 Audit 2

n % n %

Worst pain score in last 24 hours - score <4 - score 4 and <8 - score > 8

Pain relief reported to be very helpful/somewhat helpful

Patients who experienced nausea and/or vomiting

Antiemetic reported to be very helpful/somewhat helpful

APOP

Discussion: Areas where we did well

• Customise this slide for your hospital by adding bullet points on areas where your hospital is doing well

• An example could be the % of patients with at least one pain score documented

APOP

Discussion: Areas we can build upon

• Customise this slide for your hospital by adding bullet points on areas that your hospital project team has identified as an area of interest/focus of education

• An example could be: current level of communication at discharge

APOP

Action: the next step

Strategies to raise awareness of best practice in acute postoperative pain management

Customise this slide for your hospital by adding bullet points on how you will implement some change.

Examples of educational resources include:– Posters– Bookmark reminder

• Pain assessment tools• Discharge pain management plan reminder

– Group education sessions on current practice and comparison to ‘best practice’

– Educational visits (academic detailing)

APOP

After the educational intervention

• Collect data on ‘x’ surgical cases (similar to Audit1):

• Evaluate post-intervention (audit 2) data

• Feedback data and compare with baseline and ‘best practice’

APOP

Acknowledgements

QLD, VIC, NSW, TAS & SA state DUE groups and state project committees

NPS staff – Pharmaceutical Decision Support team – Data analyst