Intelligent Analgesia Management System in Postoperative Pain Management: A Retrospective Analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the effect of an intelligent analgesia management system on postoperative pain management and the working mode of acute pain service.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Methods: A total of 584 patients who underwent laparoscopic abdominal surgery under general anesthesia and voluntarily received intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) between January 2018 and April 2020 at our hospital were selected. Patients were grouped according to the duration of time used and pain management methods into the traditional patient-controlled analgesia group (T-PCA group) and intelligent analgesia management system group (Intelligent group), both of which were managed by the acute pain service. The incidence of moderate and severe postoperative pain (numerical rating scale score ≥4 points), side effects (nausea and vomiting, dizziness, somnolence, hypotension, pruritus, and respiratory depression), and patient satisfaction with pain management were compared.

Findings: The incidence of moderate and severe postoperative pain in the Intelligent group was significantly lower than that in the T-PCA group (P = .039), as was the incidence of nausea and vomiting (P = .037); respiratory depression and pruritus did not occur in either group. In addition, patient satisfaction in the Intelligent group was significantly higher than that in the T-PCA group (P < .001).

Conclusions: The use of an intelligent analgesia management system can reduce the incidence of analgesia insufficiency, and nausea and vomiting, as well as improve patient satisfaction and work efficiency of the pain management nurse.