Analysis of nursing registries of pain and analgesia in hospitalized patients

: This study analyzed nursing records on pain and analgesia of patients admitted at a cancer treatment hospital, between October and November of 1999, and compared then to the patients reports. Thirty-eight patients that referred pain were interviewed and had their medical charts analyzed. Presence or lack of pain was documented in 94.8% of the charts. The distribution of this type of record throughout the day was: 50% in the morning, 79% in the afternoon, and 89% at night. Pain assessment was restricted to intensity (44.7%) and location (71.1%). Sixty-eight percent of patients were satisfied with the analgesia provided whereas about 33% mentioned some level of dissatisfaction.