A Prospective Observational Study Assessing Pain Management Protocols in Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) Patients

Vijay Kumar K; Lavan S; Sai Sri Harsha P; Kavya T

doi:10.37022/jcscr.v5i2.935

K. Vijay Kumar Department of Pharmacy Practice, Avanthi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Gunthapally, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
S. Lavan Department of Pharmacy Practice, Avanthi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Gunthapally, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
P. Sai Sri Harsha Department of Pharmacy Practice, Avanthi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Gunthapally, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
T. Kavya Department of Pharmacy Practice, Avanthi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Gunthapally, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

DOI https://doi.org/10.37022/jcscr.v5i2.935

Abstract

Pain is one of the most common and under-recognised clinical problems among critically ill patients admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). Inadequate pain management may lead to prolonged hospitalisation, delayed recovery, psychological stress, and poor clinical outcomes. The present study was conducted as a prospective observational study to evaluate pain management protocols and the effectiveness of analgesic therapy in MICU patients. A total of 72 patients were included over a six-month study period. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and patients were categorised based on severity as mild, moderate, and severe pain. Demographic analysis revealed that male patients (58.33%) were more predominant than females (41.66%), with the majority belonging to the age group of 51–60 years (31.44%). Among departments, cardiology accounted for the highest proportion of pain cases (26.38%). Diabetes mellitus (33.33%) and hypertension (31.94%) were the most common co-morbidities. Mild pain was the most frequently observed category (90.27%), followed by severe pain (6.94%) and moderate pain (2.77%). Among analgesics, paracetamol was the most commonly prescribed non-opioid (37.5%), tramadol was the most used opioid (20.83%), and pregabalin was the predominant adjuvant analgesic (2.77%). Monotherapy showed better pain relief outcomes compared to dual and triple therapy. The findings suggest that non-opioid analgesics, especially paracetamol, and opioids such as tramadol are effective in pain management. Regular pain assessment and individualized therapy can significantly improve patient comfort and treatment outcomes in MICU settings.

Keywords: Pain management, MICU, Visual Analogue Scale, Opioid analgesics, non-opioid analgesics, Tramadol, Paracetamol

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