Comparison of Postoperative Pain Management Outcomes in the United States and China.

The two hospital samples were chosen for convenience, so they may not represent other hospitals or countries. United States patients had higher BMI, more severe ASA status, more chronic pain, more cancer, and more surgery history, so differences may reflect patient mix, not care alone. The study looked at one postoperative day and did not test whether any practice caused better outcomes. The pain medication index compares pain category with analgesic type but ignores dose, so it may miss underdosing. Numeric pain ratings were unfamiliar to some patients and can mean different things to different people. The Chinese sample excluded some surgical sites, and both samples excluded intensive and critical care units, so results apply only to general postoperative units.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. Funding came from the School of Nursing at Peking Union Medical College, the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the China Scholarship Council.

Do not conclude that United States care causes better outcomes or that Chinese patients have less pain. This was an observational comparison of two convenience samples, the patient groups differed in illness severity and background, and the pain medication index did not account for dose.