Management of pain in cardiac surgery ICU patients: have we improved over time?

This study described the pain experience of cardiac surgery ICU patients. After their transfer to the surgical unit, 93 patients were interviewed using a questionnaire about their pain experience while they were in the ICU. Sixty-one patients (65.6%) recalled being ventilated and 72 patients (77.4%) recalled having pain. Turning was the most frequent source of pain experienced by the patients. A large proportion of the patients (47.3%) identified the thorax as the location of their pain. All patients had a sternal incision. Pain was mild for 16 patients, moderate for 21, and severe for 25 of them. While ventilated, head nodding and movements of the upper limbs were the most frequent means of communication used by the patients. Despite advances in pain management, the study's findings are disturbingly similar to those of 17 years ago [Puntillo KA. Pain experiences of intensive care unit patients. Heart Lung 1990;19:526-33]. Evidence from research about clinical guidelines for pain management needs to be applied to the care of cardiac surgery patients in order to reduce patient suffering.