Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract NACNDC/19JASH046 (Poster C54) | Published: 24 Nov 2025
Harriet Nansamba1,&, Joyce Nankumbi1
1Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
&Corresponding author: Harriet Nansamba, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. Email: harrietnansamba52@gmail.com
Received: 13 Sept 2025, Accepted: 20 Oct 2025, Published: 24 Nov 2025
Domain: Health Service Delivery
Keywords: Postoperative pain, Satisfaction, Post-surgical period
©Harriet Nansamba et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Harriet Nansamba et al., Prevalence of postoperative pain and level of satisfaction with pain management among postsurgical patients at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc6):00046. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO6-00046
Postoperative pain is an inevitable and unwelcome consequence of all surgical procedures. Ensuring effective and safe management of this pain should be a primary concern for any healthcare facility where surgeries are performed. Poor pain control can result in complications, prolonged hospital stays, and reduced patient satisfaction. We determined the prevalence of postoperative pain level of satisfaction with pain management among postsurgical patients at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to April 2025, which included 293 patients from gastrointestinal, orthopaedic, ENT, and urology wards on their second postoperative day. Data were collected using a pretested researcher-administered questionnaire. Pain was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and level of satisfaction was measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were conducted.
The prevalence of postoperative pain was 84.6%, with 56.7% reporting moderate and 28.0% reporting severe pain. The overall satisfaction with pain management was 66.6%. Pain was commonly localised at the incision site and impacted by activities of daily living (ADLs) like walking and dressing. While all patients received pain medication postoperatively, most received analgesics, predominantly intravenous paracetamol.
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