Comparison of a Comfort Scale and a Numerical Pain Scale on Opioid Consumption After Surgery

Comparison of a Comfort Scale and a Numerical Pain Scale on Opioid Consumption After Surgery: The COMFORT Randomized Trial

The objective is to show that the use of therapeutic communication tools, in this case a comfort scale, a low cost and simple to implement method, can reduce pain and therefore the consumption of opioids in the postoperative care unit.

Our hypothesis is that the use of a comfort scale will lead to significant postoperative opioid sparing, and consequently to a decrease in the opioid-related side effects The aim of this study is to compare postoperative opioid consumption between patients whose pain is assessed by a numerical verbal scale and those assessed with a comfort scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥ 18 years;
• Patient eligible for any surgery requiring postoperative opioid administration;
• Patient with a social security plan;
• French-speaking patient
• Free, informed and oral consent by the patient.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Woman claiming to be pregnant or breast feeding;
• Emergency surgery;
• Patients using preoperative opioids ;
• Opioid addiction;
• Patients unable to understand the assessment scales;
• Adults under legal protection (safeguard of justice, curatorship, guardianship), persons deprived of liberty.