The Journal of cardiovascular nursing
-
Acute postoperative pain (APOP) may cause complications and delay healing. Analgesics alone cannot completely relieve APOP. Preoperative anxiety, optimism, and pain catastrophizing are predictors of APOP. No study author has examined the mediating effect of pain catastrophizing on APOP in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. ⋯ Pain catastrophizing should be assessed before surgery. Reducing pain catastrophizing would decrease APOP and improve the quality of pain management.