Satisfaction of post caesarean section mothers with pain management at Mulago National Refferal Hospital

Abstract

Back ground: Delivery by caesarean section (CS) is becoming more frequent and one of the most common operative procedures performed worldwide. The optimal rate for CS births is indicated to be 5% to 10% of all births. In most developed countries, the rates range from 20% to 26%. Similarly, 21.3% of the deliveries conducted per day at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital (MNRTH) are emergency CS. Caesarean section is normally done with predictable or expected benefits to the unborn baby and/or mother. However, the operation can be complicated factors such as post-operative pain. Adequate management of postoperative pain relievers suffering and leads to earlier mobilization, shortened hospital stay, reduced hospital costs, and increased patient satisfaction. Methods: A cross sectional study design was employed to collect data from 384 mothers that were randomly selected from postnatal ward at MNRTH. Data were entered using SPSS version 16. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was done to identify the factors significantly associated with satisfaction with pain management among post CS mothers. Ethical approval was sought from Institutional Review Board at the School of Health Sciences and MNRTH. Results: Mothers expressed moderate (2.87) satisfaction with pain management with the majority women (60.7%) being dissatisfied with the way their pain is controlled. The level of satisfaction with post operative pain management was only associated with the duration of labour before CS. (OR= 0.736, p-value= 0.006, CI= 0.592 – 0.915). Conclusions: The study found that duration of labour before CS is the most significant determinant of satisfaction of post CS mothers with pain management at Mulago Hospital. Recommendations: There is a need to ensure early recognition of pain through assessment, for timely intervention during the labour and / or delivery process. This will enhance prompt management, there by meeting the mothers’ expectations for pain management. This may ultimately improve satisfaction with the pain management. Health workers at MNRTH need to ensure that all mothers are involve in making decision about their pain management and should improve on customer care. Mothers at MNRTH should demand more information regarding pain management after CS operation from health practitioners.