Patient controlled analgesia: the relation of psychological factors to pain and analgesic use in adolescents with postoperative pain.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship of psychological variables to pain and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) use in adolescents undergoing orthopedic surgeries.

DESIGN

Cohort.

PATIENTS

Fifty adolescents and their parents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Visual analogue scales of pain, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and questionnaires that assessed overall psychological distress, anxiety, and family environment.

RESULTS

Correlations of the psychological variables with measures of pain and PCA use showed that high levels of anxiety and distress in adolescents were related to higher postoperative pain. Adolescents from controlling and conflicted families also had higher pain ratings and made more frequent PCA demands during the lockout interval when drug was unavailable. Parent anxiety and distress were also related to adolescent pain and PCA use.

CONCLUSIONS

The psychological status of adolescents and their parents can significantly influence postoperative pain and PCA use.