Sammanfattning
Background: Many hospital wards, particularly in gynecology and obstetrics, use heated pads to
mitigate mild and moderate pain.
Objective: Comparison between heated pads and non-heated pads following gynaecological surgical
procedures. The main goal was to determine whether heating pads have a pain-relieving effect. The
primary endpoint is cumulative fentanyl consumption in the post-anaesthesia care unit. The
secondary goal was to determine whether heating pads influenced post-operative pain scores at rest,
the patient's satisfaction with pain management, the perception of the pad itself, and side effects.
Method: Prospective, randomised controlled, and double-blinded study. The patients were
randomised into two groups, with one group receiving heated pads, and the other receiving non-
heated pads.
Results: Out of 100 patients, 94 completed the study. The cumulative consumption of Fentanyl® was
lower in the heated pad group. No significant deviance was recorded in the perceived post-operative
pain between the groups. Of the 94 participating patients, 80 were satisfied with pain relief in general.
All 47 patients who received heated pads perceived them as comfortable, while only 25 of the 47 who
received the room-temperature pads experienced the same (p<0.001). The use of heated pads was
not associated with any side effects such as nausea or burn injuries.
Conclusion: Using heated pad reduced the need for pain relieving medication following gynecological
procedures, and was perceived to be comfortable.