Influence of Patients' "Sense of Coherence" on Main Postoperative Variables in the Postanesthesia Care Unit: A Cross-Sectional Study

The objective of this study was to investigate whether patients' sense of coherence (SOC)--ability to comprehend their whole situation and their capacity to use available resources--influences acute postoperative complications in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). We hypothesized that patients' SOC would be negatively related to their experience of pain and nausea, consumption of opioids, and length of stay in the PACU--the higher the SOC, the lower the experience of pain and nausea, less consumption of opioids, and shorter PACU stay. Data were collected from the anesthesia and electronic medical records, and combined with a questionnaire. A total of 115 adults undergoing general anesthesia for orthopedic surgery were included in the analysis. Results showed a statistically significant negative relationship between SOC and postoperative pain and consumption of opioids in the PACU. Patients with a stronger SOC experienced significantly less pain (P < .01) and consumed significantly less opioids (P < .01) than those with a lower SOC. Patients' SOC influences their experience of pain and opioid consumption in the PACU. Therefore, patients' SOC could be one of many factors that nurse anesthetists consider in their efforts to predict, prevent, and decrease patients' experience of pain in the PACU.