Post-discharge pain experience following primary total hip or knee arthroplasty in patients whose primary language is not English

Pain following total hip or total knee arthroplasty post-discharge from hospital is not well understood, especially in patients whose primary language is not English. The objective of this study was to examine pain in patients whose primary language is not English following discharge from acute care to home or to a rehabilitation unit from post-operative days 5 to 9. During the study period 22 patients met the study criteria, 19 consented to participate, and 18 completed the study. Participants were asked to complete the Pain Self-Assessment Form (PSAF) for 5 days after discharge from acute care. The response rate was 95% (n = 18). The most common languages spoken were Greek (n = 7) and Italian (n = 5). Mean daily pain scores ranged from 4.4 to 5.1 out of 10. The most commonly used analgesics included oxycodone, acetaminophen, and hydromorphone. The most commonly reported adverse effect was nausea (n = 9). When asked what could be done to improve pain management participants reported that they would have liked more information regarding managing their pain from a translator, including information regarding when to use analgesics.