Anaesthesia at the Bronovo Hospital

elaxing. In a situation like this, pain actually impedes your recovery and,consequently, needs to be relieved. To do so, several possibilities exist: it can betreated with pills, suppositories, injections or other methods prescribed by theanaesthiologist.Your pain scoreFor good pain relief, it is important for us to know how much pain you areexperiencing. Your input is important for this. You are the one feeling the painand only you can say how bad it really is.For that reason, pain registration is used. For you, this means that after yoursurgery, nurses and doctors will frequently ask you for a pain score. In order todo so, a ‘pain index’ has been developed which is a sort of ’pain thermometer’.In the first days after surgery, you will be asked 3 or 4 times daily to indicatethe level of pain you are experiencing. You will be asked to ’score’ your pain ona scale between 0 (no pain) and 10 (the most excruciating pain).• If you are pain-free, your score would be 0.• If you are experiencing little pain, a number between 1 and 4 would beappropriate. The number 4 is for the most pain that is acceptable: remember,surgery is never totally painless. Up to and including, 4, the pain is considered“bearable”. Moving, coughing, inhaling and exhaling should not be affected.• Pain scores above 4 are a reason to intervene. You need to report this to yournurse immediately so extra medication can be given.• A pain score of 10 is for the most excruciating pain you can imagine.This really should not ever happen to you.Pain is a personal experience. If, for instance, you think your pain score is 5,then give it a 5 even though you might think somebody else might give it a 3or a 7. You can never choose a wrong score. After all, it is the pain YOU areexperiencing!ImportantIt is important that you inform the nurse and the doctor about the pain you areexperiencing and whether the painkillers are working well. If needed, they cangive you different painkillers or adjust the dose. The longer you wait beforereporting the uncomfortable pain, the harder it will be to treat it. So, please donot try to be ‘brave’!16