Postoperative Pain Management Outcomes at a Libyan Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background : This study aims to measure patients’ POP to understand the status of patients after surgery and to identify factors, which can influence POPM. Methods : This cross-sectional survey involved a convenience sample of 105 patients with abdominal surgery. The response rate was 70%. The American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) was used for data collection. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26 software. The pain was measured by using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at 2, 12, and 24 hours post-operatively. Results : Libyan patients, who had undergone abdominal surgeries showed higher barriers to effective POPM than patients in other countries, as very few Libyan patients (8.6%), received strong opioids for POPM, and 19.0% of them had weak opioids for their POPM. This finding could mean that Libyan patients received inadequate POPM compared to patients in other countries, as few patients had opioids for POPM. Multiple regression results revealed only significant differences with the type of medications for Post-Operative Pain Management (POPM) (B = -0.0330, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results showed that Libyan patients received inadequate POPM compared to patients in other countries, as view Libyan patients received opioids for POPM. The Author subscribes to the necessity for further implementation of POPM and teaching about POPM of HCPs and patients concerning acute POP in Libya.