ABSTRACT

Objective:

This study aimed to determine pain treatment methods applied in intensive care units in our country, specifically the frequency of regional analgesia use and attitudes and approaches to regional analgesia, using a questionnaire.

Materials and Methods:

Our study was organized as a cross-sectional survey in the form of a questionnaire. A web-based questionnaire containing 31 questions was sent to specialist physicians working in the intensive care unit via e-mail. The questionnaire was sent to the participants 4 times at intervals of 4 weeks. Participants who were unable to complete the questionnaire within 4 months were considered as rejecting participation.

Results:

A total of 130 specialist physicians working in the intensive care unit participated in our study, wherein 45.4% stated the presence of protocol for analgesia in the intensive care unit. The highest rate of preferred methods for pain treatment was found to be opioids, followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other pharmacological agents, and regional analgesia, respectively. Lumbar epidural, thoracic epidural, peripheral nerve blocks, and local infiltration were the most preferred regional analgesia methods, but it is noteworthy that the rate of regional analgesia methods was low even in cases with appropriate indications. Factors that prevent the use of regional analgesia were hemodynamic instability (53.1%), coagulation profile variability (49.2%), and easier alternative analgesia methods (44.6%). Notably, the incidence of complications in regional analgesia methods was generally very low.

Conclusion:

The most commonly used drugs for pain management in intensive care units were opioids and NSAIDs. A majority of the participants expressed their belief in the useful effects of regional analgesia in patients although these methods were rarely used in intensive care units.

Keywords: Intensive care, analgesia, regional analgesia, questionnaire

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Pain Therapy and Regional Analgesia in Patients in the Intensive Care Unit: A Survey Study

ABSTRACT

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