Analgesic Consumption in the Early Postoperative Period: A Prospective Observational PACU Study

Postoperative pain is a major clinical concern that significantly affects recovery, patient satisfaction, and overall perioperative outcomes. Inadequate pain control in the early postoperative period is associated with delayed mobilization, increased risk of complications, prolonged hospital stay, and the development of chronic postoperative pain. Therefore, early identification of factors influencing analgesic requirements is essential for optimizing individualized pain management strategies.

The post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) represents a critical period during which patients are closely monitored following surgery, and pain management is actively adjusted. Analgesic consumption during this phase provides an objective and clinically relevant measure of pain management adequacy. However, analgesic requirements may vary widely depending on patient-related factors (such as age, sex, and body mass index), surgical characteristics (type and duration of surgery), and anesthesia-related variables (anesthetic technique, intraoperative analgesic administration, and use of regional anesthesia).

This study is designed as a single-center, prospective observational study conducted in the post-anesthesia care unit of a tertiary oncology hospital. Adult patients undergoing elective surgical procedures will be included. No additional interventions will be performed, and all perioperative care will be administered according to routine clinical practice. Data will be collected prospectively from anesthesia records, PACU monitoring forms, and hospital electronic systems.

The primary outcome is total analgesic consumption during the PACU stay. Secondary outcomes include pain intensity at PACU admission and discharge, requirement for rescue analgesia, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, and length of stay in the PACU.

The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the identification of patients at higher risk for increased analgesic requirements in the early postoperative period. These results may support the development of individualized and more effective pain management strategies and improve overall perioperative care quality.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 18 years and older
• Undergoing elective surgical procedures
• Admitted to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) after surgery
• Receiving general and/or regional anesthesia
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Patients younger than 18 years
• Emergency surgical procedures
• Patients transferred directly to the intensive care unit postoperatively
• PACU stay shorter than 30 minutes
• Patients unable to communicate or assess pain
• Incomplete clinical records
• Refusal to participate in the study