[The Prevalence of Pain in Hospitalized Patients]

Background: There are few studies evaluating the presence of pain in hospitalized patients. Different authors have suggested interest in epidemiological studies to establish the characteristics of pain at a hospitalary level. The present study was initiated to determine the prevalence of pain in acute and chronic patients admitted to hospital and to establish the relation of the pain with the prescription of analgesics.

Methods: Pediatric, acute and chronic adult patients pertaining to a hospital in Sabadell (Barcelona) were included in the study. Patients from resuscitation, ICU, neonatology and the emergency wards were excluded. The variables studied were presence of pain and the existence of analgesic prescription. The first was determined by interview with the patient, while the second was obtained directly from the clinical history.

Results: Fifty-five percent of the 217 adult patients with acute pathology manifest pain and in 45% of them total analgesics had been prescribed. The prevalence of pain was 61% among the 41 pediatric patients and 35% among the 98 adults with chronic disease. Prescription of analgesics was observed in 51 and 39%, respectively in the above groups of patients. The relation between the presence of pain and antialgic prescription was variable according to the groups. It must be emphasized that 50% of acute adult patients with pain did not have prescription of analgesics. Pain was present in all the pediatric patients with some analgesic prescribed. Sixty-eight percent of the chronic patients with prescribed analgesics also experienced pain.

Conclusions: The prevalence of pain in the hospital environment is high, not only in pediatric but also in adult and geriatric patients. The high number of patients who do not receive analgesics despite pain and those in whom the treatment does not totally eradicate the symptoms is of note. Analgesic therapy must acquire greater revelance in hospitalary assistance.