Postoperative Pain in Ambulatory Surgery

Abstract

The pattern of pain was examined in 10,008 consecutive ambulatory surgical patients. The incidence of severe pain was 5.3% in the postanesthesia care unit, 1.7% in the ambulatory surgical unit, and 5.3% 24 h postoperatively. Body mass, duration of anesthesia, and certain types of surgery were significant predictors of pain in the postanesthesia care unit. These data will allow us to better predict those patients who need intense prophylactic analgesic therapy.