Satisfaction of trauma patients in their pain management in Rwandan teaching hospitals: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Postoperative pain management in Rwanda is well documented in trauma patients but few studies have investigated pain management in trauma patients in general and factors associated with patient’s satisfaction in Rwanda.

Methods We explored clinical aspects of trauma patients, pain management offered to them in particular, their satisfaction on this and associated factors in the four teaching and referral hospitals in Rwanda. We collected data on 375 patients and calculated the rate of satisfaction among them. Different variables associated with satisfaction were assessed using Chi-square. Of them, those achieving an important association (p<0.25) were used in a multivariate logistic regression to identify independent factors to satisfaction. The data analysis consisted of calculation of frequencies and percentage of patients’ factors.

Results The patients were having more mild and moderate injuries, surgery was already done in 71.94%. The pain grade trend was from severe (89.81%) to mild (68.28%) from admission to the interview. The majority of patients received medications in less than ten minutes when they ask for pain relief. Paracetamol (67.73%) was the most prescribed medication for pain followed tramadol (41.98%) and morphine (40.53%). The combination of Paracetamol, NSAIDs and opioid was common prescription (71.6%). The most severe side effect was dizziness. Almost every patient wanted to be treated for pain 77.03%. The satisfaction for pain management was very high (86%). Independent predictors for satisfaction for pain management in trauma patients were the mode of access to AED, pain intensity at interview and time waited for pain relief along the stay in the hospital.

Conclusion The majority of patients admitted for trauma had their pain managed and were satisfied for their pain relief. Delay to respond for pain relief, interrupted pain relief especially during contact with interviewers and patients admitted by their own means to the AED.