There are limitations associated with retrospective chart audits.
These include incomplete documentation, missing charts and
difficulty interpreting information found in the documents.
However, because this chart review had only 6% of the sample
missing, it can be argued that the missing data did not bias the
findings. Furthermore,the data analysis was undertaken on the
data retrieved from the 423 pain charts located.
The review did not include report of the specific surgical
procedure the patient had undergone—this was not the
purpose of the study. Furthermore, it is likely that capturing
specific surgical procedure would not have allowed for
statistical comparisons owing to the size of the cohort
(small).The purpose of this review was to gain insight into
nurse assessment of neuropathic pain. Further research with
larger numbers in specific surgery is warranted to enable
understanding of the impact of surgery type and development
of signs of neuropathic pain.