Iran Journal of Nursing

  A field study was carried out among 265 post surgical patients in 67 surgical wards belonging to teaching hospitals located in Tehran. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of Dipyron administration in the first 48 hours of postoperative period and the accuracy of its recording in the medication records by the nursing staff, meanwhile the physicians' post operative analgesic medication orders for the first and second 24 hours of post operative period were considered to determine the possible relation between the amount of Dipyron administration and the type of these orders. Data collection tools in this study were questionnaire and checklists.

  Results showed that 56 -98% of subjects during the first 24 hours and 20 -37% of them during the second 24 hours of post operative period had received Dipyron in variable dosages. The calculated proportions of administered Dipyron dosages confirmed that the subjects in each four

  groups of wards (General surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Gynecology and urology wards) were exposured to prejudicial effects of this drug. Furthermore the results showed that the percentages of recording of essential points (the name' doss age, route of administration, date, and time of administered Dipyron) in the medication records by the nursing staff were less than 15% of total number of dosages administered. Likewise the physicians' analgesic medication orders for the first and second 24 hours of post operative period had similar condition so that the essential points relating to these orders (the name, dosage, route and frequency of administration of analgesic medication) were observed only less than 46% of prescriptions.

  Using the chi -square test (showed that there was evidence of significant correlation between the reception of Dipyron and the type of the analgesic orders during the first 24 hours of post operative period (P<0.001). Similarly, such correlation as this was found between the total

  administered amounts of Dipyron to the patients (dosages in grams) and the type of their analgesic orders during the first and second 24 hours of post operative period (P<0.001).

  However, the results of this study, confirm that there is a need for better and more comprehensive training of medical and nursing staff and students in post operative analgesic care.