Can we improve the existing management of pain after cesarean delivery at Eastern Regional Referral Hospital? A retrospective survey

Background Pain after surgery is generally considered undertreated worldwide. This may be because of resource and skill constraints. Inadequate management of pain after cesarean delivery (CD), can adversely affect the well-being of both mothers and newborns, potentially leading to a higher incidence of chronic post-operative pain. We must therefore constantly improve the quality of pain care for CDs. This study aimed to review the existing management of pain associated with CD at Eastern Regional Referral Hospital (ERRH) Methods This retrospective review of the management of pain after CDs, was conducted between December 2017 and December 2018 at ERRH, Bhutan. A total of 107 CD patients were reviewed. Results Of the 107 patients with CDs reviewed, only 2% received analgesics before surgery, and 20% received analgesics during surgery. The majority of the patients (63%) received a single injection of Diclofenac sodium, followed by oral Ibuprofen (56%) on the following day. Conclusions Despite the availability of resources and skills, the present review revealed that the existing management strategy of pain after CDs at ERRH was mostly a single-drug therapy, with focus mainly on the post-operative period.