Knowledge of Nursing Staff on Postoperative Pain: The Case of the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala, Cameroon

Background and objective: Pain is a major concern in the surgical environment, but its management remains insufficient due to several factors related to the nursing staff, the organization of the structure or the patient himself. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of the nursing staff on postoperative pain at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out at the Laquintinie Hospital in Douala from September to December 2018. Participants were consecutively selected among members of nursing staff in charge of operated patients in the visceral surgery, trauma surgery, surgical reanimation, gynaecology and obstetrics services. Socio-professional data and data related to knowledge of postoperative pain were collected from this personnel using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Results: With regard to knowledge of postoperative pain, the proportion of correct answers to the knowledge questions was 61.4%. This proportion varied significantly with the specific training received on pain and the specialization of the nursing staff (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the study reveal knowledge in this population that deserves to be improved with a view to better management of patients undergoing surgery.

Preoperative Cardiovascular Risk Assessment Prior Non Cardiac Surgery: A Case Series of Patients Undergoing Urological Surgery in Ngaoundere, Cameroon

Background and objective: Preoperative cardiovascular risk control is critical to reducing the frequency of perioperative cardiovascular events and improving the survival and quality of life of surgical patients. This study aimed at assessing preoperative cardiovascular of patients undergoing urological surgery in Ngaoundere, Cameroon. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried at the urological surgery department of the Ngaoundere Islamic Clinic. Participants’ sociodemographic, clinical and biological data were collected and analyzed using Sphinx V5 software. Results: A total of 58 patients were included in the study. Their mean age was 61.33 ± 16.16 years. The most represented age group was the one over 70 years (34.50%). In total, 50 (86.20%) patients had low risk surgical procedures and 20 (34.5%) patients had poor functional capacity. Lee score was calculated for all patients with low functional capacity. Of these patients, 17 (85%) had a low risk of cardiovascular events. Conclusion: The present study reveals a low preoperative cardiovascular risk in urological surgery in Ngaoundere, Cameroon;however, this observation does not exclude the need of systematic evaluation of preoperative cardiovascular risk for better prevention of postoperative complications, in surgical setting in our context.