A Correlation Study on Patients Satisfaction with their Pain Management and Comfort Level After Open Heart Surgery in Selected Hospital at Mangaluru

AIM: The aim of this study is to find out the correlation between patient satisfaction with their pain management and comfort level after open heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India during the last 3 decades. Hundreds of millions of people around the world undergo surgery every year one of which is cardiac surgery. One of the major complaints of patients after surgery is postoperative pain. Patients' satisfaction is considered an important outcome criterion to health services. Logically, patient satisfaction is an important measure when the quality of nursing care is assessed. All health care professionals .including nurses, have a responsibility to advocate for optimal comfort of patients and to intervene based on the situation and setting in order to protect the best interests of the patient.

METHOD: The study consists of total 25 patients who had undergone open heart surgery.

DESIGN: A descriptive correlative study was used. The sample consisted of 25 patients after open heart surgery patient's selected using purposive random sampling technique. Patient's satisfaction with their pain management was assessed by using Pain Satisfaction Survey from immediately after surgery, at first post operative ambulation, and at the time of discharge. And the patients level of comfort after open heart surgery was assessed by using General Comfort Scale at the time of discharge.

RESULTS: The mean scores of immediately after surgery (73.03±4.52) was more than mean pain scores of first ambulation(53.59±3.91) and at discharge(35.11±3.71).All patients were satisfied with their pain management and majority of subjects had good comfort (84%) at discharge. There is a significant association between patient satisfaction with their pain management during immediately after surgery, first post operative ambulation and at discharge since ( F(2,72)=3.1, ≤0.05).

CONCLUSION: Findings of the study concluded that all patients were satisfied with their pain management and majority of subjects had good comfort at discharge and there was a significant association between patient satisfaction with their pain management after open heart surgery.