Objective postoperative pain assessment using incentive spirometry values: a prospective observational study.

Determine if incentive spirometry (IS) values correlate with postoperative pain control. Prospective observational study. A total of 100 patients undergoing major abdominal procedures at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. Patients studied as a single cohort. All patients received thoracic epidural analgesia preoperatively. Preoperative and daily postoperative numeric pain scores, subjective pain description and IS values were collected for all patients. There was a strong correlation with IS values relative to baseline for both the numeric pain scores (p < 0.0001), postoperative day (p < 0.0001) and the subjective pain score (p < 0.0007). IS values are an objective surrogate data point for pain control after surgery, particularly when followed over time and compared with a preoperative baseline value.