The role of PEF and Vas score by pain assessment after thoracosurgical interventions

The pain after surgical interventions in the thoracopulmonary region is characterized by a longer period of occurrence lasting usually 72 to 96 hours, considerable intensity and potential influence on the incidence of complications. Various clinical parameters were used to determine the pain most precisely. Measurements of the which one parameters the pain is most useful? Aim: We looked for the most effective and simple method of pain assessment in postoperative thorax surgery. Material and method: 80 patients were operated for lung cancer. The clinical parameters of pain were assessed, namely: the visual analog pain scale (VAS), pulse oximetry (SpO2), systolic and diastolic arterial pressure (RRs, RRd), spirometry - vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, peak expiratory flow (VC, FVC, FEV1, PEF), measurement of pain intensity during a spirometry test. These parameters were monitored during 96 hours after surgery. Factor Analysis was applied in order to present the pain status of patients by using one digit (the rotation method, VARIMAX). The common factors (F) were created for various management methods. Results: The factor F was created by using the data from the VAS and spirometry. The correlation between F and PEF achieve a value -0,76 and between F and VAS reach 0,97. The greater pain worsens outcome PEF and increases the VAS result. Conclusions: In thoracosurgical practice, the interview with subjective assessment of pain (VAS) and the one parameter (PEEF) of spirometry is great importance to measure the intensity of postoperative pain.