| Coronary artery disease remains a leading cause of death in North America. Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a common therapeutic modality when medication does not relieve angina and when coronary angioplasty is not suitable. The CABG procedure is a major surgical intervention resulting in moderate to severe acute pain. Uncontrolled pain is a potentially dangerous problem, particularly for urgent CABG surgery patients. Patient misconceptions influencing the pain experience and leading to ineffective pain management for urgent CABG should be identified and corrected. No known study had previously addressed this clinical research gap.; This randomized clinical trial aimed to compare standard care to an experimental pre-operative pain-education intervention. A sample of 72 urgent CABG surgery patients, 59 male and 13 female, was randomized into two groups. Specific patient outcomes were evaluated, namely pain, anxiety, barriers to pain management, and length of stay. The Symptom Management Model guided the research. Compared to patients receiving standard care, patients receiving the pain-education intervention reported significantly less interference from pain during daily activities, a greater reduction in anxiety and distress pre to post surgery, fewer perceived barriers to pain management, and a shorter length of stay and, although not statistically significant, lower pain intensity and better pain relief from analgesia.; This study supports and extends previous research in pain management of the acute cardiac surgical patients, and underscores the importance of pain education intervention. Study results will guide clinical practice recommendations targeting pre-operative patients' programs in the urgent CABG patient population. |
