OBJECTIVE: To determine the role and influence of personality in acute pain perception of post cardiac surgery patients. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, analytical, prospective with correlational nature, developed in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The sample consisted of 25 patients, 64% female, less than 60 years (52%). RESULTS: Pain intensity was measured by numeric pain scale of 1 to 5 days postoperatory and personality styles was by Millon Inventory of Personality Styles. Pain perception was experienced with magnitudes ranging from mild to moderate from 1st to 5th day after surgery and related to personality characteristics. In patients with less pain intensity was observed a significant elevation of the highest score factors in the preservation, individualism, introversion and in the patients with greater intensity of pain were: protection, extraversion, shyness, discrepancy, affection, accommodation, withdrawal, communication and firmness. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of the painful phenomenon in patients post-cardiac surgery appears to be associated with behavioral manifestations and varying magnitudes as the time of surgery, type and position of drains, besides the immediate postoperative period. To characterize psychological aspects as personality characteristics may influence patterns of behavior as these observed.
Pain measurement; cardiac surgery; post-operative; personality; MIPPS
