Setting Priorities for African Postoperative Pain Research Through an International Delphi Process

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Kissoon Vishaal-KABSOM.pdf (1.09 MB)

Date

2025

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International Anesthesia Research Society

Abstract

Acute postoperative pain remains a significant challenge in Africa, with prevalence rates of moderate-to-severe pain reaching 91.4–95%, exacerbated by resource constraints, inadequate training, and policy gaps in low- and middle-income countries. This perspective article employs a modified two-round Delphi process involving 174 multidisciplinary experts from 25 African countries to identify the top 10 research priorities and three key strategies for addressing postoperative pain. Priorities, ranked by consensus magnitude, include evaluating current practices, developing cost-effective multimodal analgesia, enhancing regional anesthesia training, assessing patient satisfaction, identifying barriers/enablers, examining impacts on surgical outcomes, exploring preemptive analgesia roles, addressing pediatric barriers, and predicting acute/chronic pain risks. Strategies emphasize developing regional anesthesia guidelines, harmonized multidisciplinary curricula, and context-specific pain assessment tools. These priorities aim to inform evidence-based policies, optimize resource allocation, and improve patient-centered care across diverse African settings.

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Keywords

Postoperative pain, Africa, Delphi process, research priorities, regional anesthesia, multimodal analgesia, pain management barriers, patient satisfaction

Citation

Asfaw, G., Melkie, T. B., Shiferaw, A. A., Mwiti, T. M., Nyirigira, G., Retief, F., Mikailu, A. A., Zacharia, A., Jarju, E., Lakew, E., Epiu, I., Kissoon, V., Abed, L., Yimer, M., Mohamed, M., Ekor, O. E., Bukuru, P., Djagbletey, R., Ayad, A. E., ... Forget, P., & Gebremedhn, E. G. (2025). Setting priorities for African postoperative pain research through an international Delphi process. Anesthesia & Analgesia. International Anesthesia Research Society. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000007689

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/3016

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School of Medicine (KABSOM)