American orthopedic surgery patients reported worse postoperative pain than their European counterparts, according to a study in the British Journal of Anesthesia.
Here are four things to know:
1. Surveyors used PAIN OUT methodology to collect patient reported outcomes. Most PROs used 11-point numerical rating scales, with zero being no pain and 10 being the worst possible pain.
2. Risk factors for postoperative pain included female sex, younger age, high body mass index, chronic pain and preoperative opioid use.
3. On the first postoperative day, 13,770 patients in 13 European and non-European countries and 564 U.S. patients contributed data. Risk factors did not differ between the two cohorts.
4. Three PROs differed between international and U.S. patients, with more American patients reporting "worst pain." Risk factors and patient mix did not account for these differences.
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