Assessment of the Effectiveness of Standardized Pain Management Protocols in Improving Postoperative Recovery Outcomes among Surgical Patients

Boroujeni, Fatemeh Mahmoudpour

doi:10.5281/zenodo.21298385

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Standardized Pain Management Protocols in Improving Postoperative Recovery Outcomes among Surgical Patients

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Fatemeh Mahmoudpour Boroujeni

Operating Room Specialist, Namazi Hospital, Shiraz, Iran

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21298385

Abstract

Background: Postoperative pain remains a significant clinical challenge, affecting up to 80% of surgical patients and impeding recovery. Standardized pain management protocols, including Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) pathways and opioid-sparing analgesia strategies, have developed to address this issue through systematic, multimodal approaches.

Objective: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of standardized pain management protocols in improving postoperative recovery outcomes among surgical patients.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library searched for randomized controlled trials and comparative studies evaluating standardized pain protocols versus conventional care. Primary outcomes included postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, and length of hospital stay, opioid-related adverse effects, and patient satisfaction. 58 studies (5,614 patients) were included in the final analysis.

Results: Standardized pain protocols were associated with significantly reduced 24-hour morphine consumption (MD: -9.47 mg, 95% CI: -13.00 to -5.95), lower pain scores at 24 hours (MD: -0.72, 95% CI: -0.97 to -0.47), reduced PONV incidence (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59-0.90), and improved patient satisfaction (MD: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.36-1.40). Length of stay showed a reduction from 3.0 to 2.1 days (p

Graphical Abstract

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Standardized Pain Management Protocols in Improving Postoperative Recovery Outcomes among Surgical Patients

Keywords

Postoperative pain

Enhanced Recovery after Surgery

opioid-sparing analgesia

multimodal analgesia

recovery outcomes

Subjects

Health

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