Postoperative pain and methods for its control

: Research was conducted into post-operative pain and possible means for its control. A total of 66 patients subdivided into 3 groups were studied. In order to document analgesic effectiveness, pain was measured by two subjective methods--Huskisson's Visual Analogue and the "SCORE" index. Patients' anxiety was assessed pre-operatively by a suitably modified tourniquet test. The groups of patients were subdivided according to the analgesic agent used: 1st group (herniectomies, appendicectomies) Baralgina f. 1; 2nd group (cholecystectomies, hysterectomies) Talwin f. 1; 3rd group (cholecystectomies, hysterectomies) Baralgina f. 1 + Talwin f. 1. The latter combination proved to be satisfactory and guaranteed a sufficiently calm post-operative period. On the basis of the data obtained, it is recommended that anaesthesiological procedures include analgesic cover that exploits the action of Phentanyl as an analgesic agent and neurovegetative stabilizer and is to be used at the start of the operation. For operations lasting more than 60 minutes, a combination of Baralgina and Talwin or Buprenorfina may be administered during the post-operative period.