Key result
Pain levels after cardiac surgery were highest during coughing, and decreased significantly after chest tube removal at rest (P=0.01), with coughing (P=0.05), and when getting up (P=0.03).
Population
Adults who underwent cardiac surgery
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
Postoperative days 1 to 6
Authors
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May support individualized pain assessment after cardiac surgery; leaves open prospective validation of protocols and outcomes.
Observational
Pain after cardiac surgery varies significantly by activity, with coughing and moving causing the most pain, and chest tube removal significantly reduces pain levels.
Milgrom et al. (2004) conducted an observational in Postoperative pain after cardiac surgery. Postoperative activities and chest tube removal was evaluated on Pain levels for 5 activities on postoperative days 1 to 6 and changes after chest tube removal and extubation. Pain levels after cardiac surgery were highest during coughing, and decreased significantly after chest tube removal at rest (P=0.01), with coughing (P=0.05), and when getting up (P=0.03).