A study on PCA education program to manage postoperative pain.

Objective To evaluate the effects of a pain education program on patients′ knowledge of postoperative pain management,behavior for controlling pain and postoperative pain.Methods A total of 66 PCA patients undergoing abdominal surgery were divided into two groups,33 in each group.Patients in trial group received routine preoperative care and 30 minutes of education about pain management,while the control group received routine preoperative care only.All patients completed the Postoperative Pain Control Questionnaire on the second postoperative day.Results Patients in trial group got higher scores for their knowledge about postoperative pain management than those in control group(P0.05).More patient in trial group took non-medical pain relief methods(P0.05);and trial group patients used the PCA pump more correctly than control group(P0.05);there was no statistical difference between the two groups in the frequency of asking for analgesics or their pain sore when they asked analgesics(P0.05).The postopera'tive pain score were lower for trial group compared to control group.Conclusion Pain education program can improve patients′ knowledge of postoperative pain management and encourage them to participate in pain management,and then relieve postoperative pain.