A Cross Sectional Study of Newly Qualified Doctors’ Knowledge on Pain Management in South Western Nigeria

Background: Pain is the leading cause of disability. Several studies have implicated lack of adequate knowledge of health care professionals on pain management as a major factor to poor pain control.

Aim: This study investigated the knowledge of newly qualified doctors on pain management.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso and Bowen University Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso between April 2015 and October 2016.

Methodology: The study enrolled newly qualified doctors who were appointed for the post of internship training. Relevant data were obtained though questionnaires from the participants within two weeks of resumption.

Results: A total of 129 respondents were enrolled. The mean age of the respondent was 26.9 (± 3.8) years. Majority 106 (82.2%) of the respondents believed that analgesia should be avoided in neonate. One hundred and twenty six (97.7%) of the respondents believed that analgesia should be withheld in acute abdomen until definitive diagnosis is made. 0ne hundred and seventeen (90.7%) respondents believed that opiod analgesia are better avoided in patients with chronic pain such as cancer pain, so as to avoid risk of addiction. However, only seven (5.4%) respondents claimed to have seen cases of opiod addiction. One hundred and twenty one (93.8%) of the respondents were unable to differentiate between tolerance and physical dependence from psychological and behavioural dependence, The entire respondents would deny or withdraw opiod analgesia in patients with hypothetical clinical scenario of physical dependency. Seventy- two (55.8%) of the respondents would combine narcotics with narcotics antagonist. Only nineteen (14.7%) of the respondents had previous lecture on pain management.

Conclusion: Our study revealed deficit of knowledge of newly qualified doctors on pain management. We thus recommend that the stake holders that are involved in medical students training and postgraduate residency training should take into cognisance this aspect of patients’ care.