A dor pós-operatória como contribuinte do prejuízo na função pulmonar em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia cardíaca

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pain in patients submitted to heart surgery using sternotomy, verifying the location and intensity of pain during the hospitalization period. A second aim was to evaluate its influence on the pulmonary function and its correlation with the characteristics of the individual and the surgical procedure. METHOD: The series was composed of 30 individuals with the preoperative pulmonary function assessed by spirometry and incentive spirometry. Patients were followed in the postoperative period using a protocol with information on the surgery and the pulmonary function and a protocol for pain evaluation (visual analogue scale and body picture). Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman correlation were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Coronary artery bypass surgery was the most frequent surgery. The pain intensity in the postoperative period was moderate, initially located near to the sternotomy and persisted until the 5th postoperative day. The maximum inspiratory volume had a significant relationship with pain (r= -0.277; p< 0.05). No significant correlation was observed between pain and others parameters. CONCLUSION: Significant damage to the pulmonary function is observed which does not completely recover until the 5th postoperative day. Despite these results, pain is not significantly associated to the characteristics of the individual or the surgical procedure.