Survey of Knowledge and Attitude of Pain in Anesthesia Residents of Thailand

Sasikaan Nimmaanrat; Wisarut Srisintorn; Rassamee Chotipanvithayakul; Panaratana Ratanasuwan; Pornpan Chalermkitpanit; Rattaphol Seangrung; Isarapong Pianngam; Sahatsa Mandee

Authors

Sasikaan Nimmaanrat Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
Wisarut Srisintorn Department of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkla, Thailand
Rassamee Chotipanvithayakul Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
Panaratana Ratanasuwan Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Pornpan Chalermkitpanit Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Rattaphol Seangrung Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Isarapong Pianngam Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Sahatsa Mandee Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

Keywords:

anesthesia, anesthesia residents, attitudes, education, KASRP, pain

Abstract

Background: Pain is common and a leading cause of disability and reduced quality of life. Inadequate treatment of pain can lead to physical, psychological, and social consequences, and achieving optimal pain management remains a significant challenge worldwide. Barriers to proper pain management include the attitudes and knowledge of healthcare providers. These barriers can significantly impact the quality of care provided to pain patients. Methods: This survey was conducted using the Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (KASRP) questionnaire among 114 anesthesia residents from six major medical schools in Thailand. Results: Most of the residents were female (76.3%), with a mean age of 29 ± 1.8 years. Almost all participants provided correct answers regarding multimodal analgesia (98.2%), opioid conversion and titration (95.6%), and the importance of beliefs about pain (94.7%). However, they had a low rate of correct answers for treating patients based on self-report rather than behavior (13.2%) and recognizing the incidence of opioid-induced respiratory depression in severe cancer patients on increasing doses of morphine (16.7%). Younger age (< 30 yr) and residency experience in pain rotation were associated with a statistically higher rate of correct answers. Conclusion: The participating anesthesia residents demonstrated correct knowledge and attitudes regarding pain and pain management. However, they also exhibited areas of incorrect knowledge and attitudes that need to be addressed and improved.

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