Pain prevalence and predictors among inpatients in a major Italian teaching hospital. A baseline survey towards a pain free hospital.

Pain prevalence among inpatients is an important indicator of quality care; it may reach over 80% in various clinical settings. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a teaching hospital to depict benchmark data regarding pain prevalence and predictors among the entire inpatient population. Overall 892 patients, 6 years old and hospitalized for at least 24 h in 57 hospital wards were interviewed using an internationally applied questionnaire. Patients self-reported their pain intensity at the time of the interview (T(0)) and worst pain perceived during the previous 24 h (T(-1)), using a numerical rating scale (NRS) and indicated current pain duration. Specific pain predictor data (hospital stay, gender, age and marital status) were obtained from patient medical charts. Pain prevalence at T(0) was 38% and 52% at T(-1). Pain was moderate to severe (NRS4) in approximately 25% of the patients at T(0) and in 40% at T(-1). High pain prevalence was found (at T(0) and T(-1), respectively) in Radiotherapy (63%;77%), Obstetrics (68%;54%), and Surgery (59%;45%) wards. Gender was a prominent determinant as pain was significantly associated with females. Pain prevalence was high among young adults or divorced/separated individuals and low among pediatric patients ( approximately 20%). Protracted hospitalization and prolonged pain duration were associated with major pain severity. Results yield Quality Assurance interventions to ameliorate pain undertreatment. Predictor analysis suggests that attention should be paid to pain management in young adults, socially vulnerable patients and those with protracted hospitalization and pain.     

北京市30家医院住院癌症患者疼痛及控制状况的调查

目的 调查北京市住院癌症患者的疼痛控制状况,为癌痛管理的实施提供依据.方法 采用短式McGill疼痛问卷(SF-MPQ)、疼痛强度量表(NRS)、疼痛强度简易描述量表(VRS),以及自设的疼痛控制状况调查问卷,对北京市28家综合医院肿瘤科及2家三级甲等肿瘤专科医院,共589例存在癌痛的住院癌症患者进行了调查.结果 本组NRS评分为( 4.81±2.27)分,无痛30例(5.09%),轻度疼痛164例(27.85%),中度疼痛266例(45.16%),重度疼痛129例(21.90%).目前有538例(91.34%)患者应用止痛药治疗癌痛,447例(83.08%)应用口服止痛药,仅293例(49.75%)患者能按时用药.仅51例(9.48%)患者应用止痛药后疼痛完全缓解,559例(84.44%)患者对疼痛控制结果满意.结论 北京市住院患者癌痛控制的效果有待加强,癌痛的健康教育工作仍需进一步深化.     

The Pain Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire: Cross‐Cultural Adaptation into Italian and Assessment of Its Measurement Properties

The Pain Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) is a patient self‐reported measurement instrument that evaluates pain self‐efficacy beliefs in patients with chronic pain. The measurement properties of the PSEQ have been tested in its original and translated versions, showing satisfactory results for validity and reliability. The aims of this study were 2 fold as follows: (1) to translate the PSEQ into Italian through a process of cross‐cultural adaptation, (2) to test the measurement properties of the Italian PSEQ (PSEQ‐I). The cross‐cultural adaptation was completed in 5 months without omitting any item of the original PSEQ. Measurement properties were tested in 165 patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) (65% women, mean age 49.9 years). Factor analysis confirmed the one‐factor structure of the questionnaire. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.94) and test–retest reliability (ICC_agreement = 0.82) of the PSEQ‐I showed good results. The smallest detectable change was equal to 15.69 scale points. The PSEQ‐I displayed a high construct validity by meeting more than 75% of a priori hypotheses on correlations with measurement instruments assessing pain intensity, disability, anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, fear of movement, and coping strategies. Additionally, the PSEQ‐I differentiated patients taking pain medication or not. The results of this study suggest that the PSEQ‐I can be used as a valid and reliable tool in Italian patients with CLBP.     

Undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards organ donation: a survey in an Italian university

ZAMPIERON A., CORSO M. & FRIGO A.C. (2010) Undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards organ donation: a survey in an Italian university. International Nursing Review 57 , 370–376 Aims: To examine undergraduate nursing students' attitudes towards organ donation and to determine whether or not attitudes were related to the students' education and training. Background: Nurses' knowledge and personal opinion can influence patient's willingness to donate organs or to hold an organ donor card. It is unclear how Italy's future nurses view organ donation. Methods: The study's source population consisted of third‐year undergraduate nursing students enrolled in seven nursing schools from an Italian university during 2008. Respondents completed self‐administered quantitative questionnaire with 61 questions, including the Organ Donation Attitude Scale. Findings: Of the 378 students contacted, 183 (48%) completed all survey questions; 140 were females (76.5%) and the mean age of students was 25. The median score of students' attitude scores towards organ donation was 151 (the attitude is positive when the score is higher than 161). No significant correlations were found to exist between organ‐donation attitude and sex, age, clinical practice in hospitals with a transplant unit, nursing care to patients waiting for a transplant or dialysis patients. Only 16% of the students had previously signed a donor card consenting to their own organ donation. The study revealed that doubts about transplantable organs still exist within the student body. Conclusions: This study highlighted that students' awareness of organ donation was not adequate and that attitude levels were lower than in other countries. If these future workers would receive adequate training, they could promote organ donation to the general public and to other hospital personnel.     

Genetic counseling: A survey to explore knowledge and attitudes of Italian nurses and midwives

In the past, genetic services were delivered to a limited number of families with rare conditions. However, genomics is now being applied to both inherited and common diseases in a range of healthcare settings, and there is a greater need for nurses to understand the basic concepts of genetic health care. The aim of this cross‐sectional survey was to explore the understanding and attitudes of Italian nurses toward genetic health care. A questionnaire was completed by 102 nurses and midwives (85% response rate). Of these, 61% believed that genetic counseling was only an informative and advisory process, and 53.9% could not specify to whom the counseling was aimed. When asked to identify nurses’ role in genetic health care, 62% of the respondents believed they had no role, although 28% believed that nurses could provide information, support, and counseling. These findings indicate that nurses have only partial knowledge of the issues surrounding genetic health care. To prepare nurses for the post‐genomic era, improved genetic education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels is required.     

Pain management in the pediatric population

Pain management is an important part of health care. During childhood, the prevalence of pain depends on the child's ongoing health status. Most healthy children receive more than 20 immunizations before 2 years of age. If the child is born with health concerns and is required to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit, the number of painful encounters can reach into the hundreds. To optimally treat children with pain, nurses must realize that appropriately assessing and treating pain in children is a necessary part of their care.     

Pain management services in palliative care: a national survey

INTRODUCTION: The effective management of pain requires a multidisciplinary approach. Previous studies have suggested that around 8% of cancer patients will require interventional techniques from an anaesthetist with special interest in pain management to maximize pain control, although this percentage may increase in the cohort of patients with difficult pain syndromes under the care of specialist palliative care services. We wished to determine the experiences and views of other palliative care physicians with regard to input from specialists in pain management. METHOD: A postal questionnaire was sent to the consultant members of the Association of Palliative Medicine. RESULTS: Most respondents had access to 'as-required' anaesthetist consultations with 72% of respondents feeling that the frequency of consultation was adequate. However, over half of the respondents had used the services of a pain management specialist less than four times in the past year and a quarter of respondents had not been involved in a joint consultation with an anaesthetist in the past year. All respondents felt that the pain management specialist's role included advice on technical procedures but less than 25% felt that their role should extend to advice on prescribing analgesics. DISCUSSION: There are likely to be several reasons for this apparent underutilization of specialist anaesthetist/pain management services. This survey has identified possible factors including lack of formal arrangements, lack of suitable experience and the attitudes of palliative medicine consultants.     

急诊外伤患者的疼痛管理

目的探讨疼痛管理对急诊外伤患者的影响,为其应用提供可参考依据。方法共纳人2012年6月—2013年6月175例急诊外伤患者作为研究对象,采用随机数字法分为管理组85例与对照组90例。管理组患者给予疼痛教育、心理护理等规范化疼痛管理干预措施,对照组给予常规疼痛治疗及护理。采用简化～麦吉尔疼痛问卷表（SF—MPQ）对两组患者进行疼痛评估,采用汉密尔顿焦虑量表（HAMA）对两组患者焦虑状况进行评估。结果随着患者损伤程度的增加,疼痛得分PRI、PPI、VAS及HAMA得分随之增加,差异有统计学意义（F分别为3．576,4．798,4．342,5．967;P〈0．05）。两组外伤后3d患者PRI、PPI、VAS及HANA得分明显高于外伤后24h,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）,对照组患者得分高于管理组,但差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）;外伤后7dPRI、PPI、VAS及HAMA得分开始下降,管理组得分分别为（4．33±1．82）,（2．88±1．42）,（3．94±1．84）,（10．16±2．78）分,明显低于对照组的（5．73±1．88）,（3．38±1．36）,（4．42±1．87）,（12．36±3．17）分,差异有统计学意义（t分别为5．097,4．534,4．043,3．937;P〈0．05）;外伤后14d得分PRI、PPI、VAS及HAMA得分下降更明显,管理组得分分别为（2．19±1．00）,（1．32±0．85）,（2．54±0．96）,（5．44±2．84）分,明显低于对照组的（3．36-e1．02）,（2．13±1．18）,（3．18±1．36）,（6．47±2．48）分,差异有统计学意义（t分别为4．937,4．454,4．234,4．634;P〈0．05）。患者疼痛得分PRI、PPI、VAS及HAMA得分存在正相关关系,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论对急诊外伤患者进行规范化的疼痛管理可以有效缓解患者疼痛的症状,同时减少患者焦虑等不良情绪的影响,整个过程中护理人员发挥重要的作用。     

Pain sensitivity can be assessed by self-rating: Development and validation of the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire

Experimental determination of pain sensitivity has received increasing attention because of emerging clinical applications (including prediction of postoperative pain and treatment response) and scientific implications (e.g. it has been proposed that above-average pain sensitivity is a risk factor for the development of chronic pain disorders). However, the use of experimental pain sensitivity assessment on a broad scale is hampered by its requirements on time, equipment and human resources and the fact that it is painful for the tested subject. Alternatives to experimental pain testing are currently lacking. Here we developed a self-rating instrument for the assessment of pain sensitivity, the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) that is based on pain intensity ratings of daily life situations and takes 5–10 min to complete. Adequate reliability of the PSQ was confirmed in 354 subjects. In a validation study comprising 47 healthy subjects, the results of comprehensive experimental pain testing, including different modalities (heat, cold, pressure, and pinprick) and different measures (pain thresholds, pain intensity ratings), were compared to the results of the PSQ. PSQ scores were significantly correlated to experimental pain intensity ratings (r = 0.56, p < 0.001) but not to pain thresholds (r = 0.03). Prediction of experimental pain intensity ratings by the PSQ was better than by pain-associated psychological factors (pain catastrophizing, depression, anxiety). This shows that the PSQ may be a simple alternative to experimental pain intensity rating procedures in healthy subjects and makes the PSQ a highly promising tool for clinical and experimental pain research.     

The Reliability of Body Pain Diagrams in the Quantitative Measurement of Pain Distribution and Location in Patients with Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review

Objective

The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of test-retest, intraexaminer, and interexaminer reliability of measuring pain location and distribution using the body pain diagram.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature using a search conducted in Medline, CINAHL, and Nursing and Allied Health from inception to March 1, 2012. Articles were screened and selected by pairs of reviewers using predetermined inclusion criteria. Internal validity was assessed independently by 2 reviewers using a modified version of the QUADAS instrument. Articles with adequate internal validity were included in the best evidence synthesis.

Results

We reviewed 10 studies. Of those, 6 were included in the best evidence synthesis. We found varying levels of evidence that pain location and pain distribution can be measured reliably using the body pain diagram in patients with acute and chronic low back pain with or without radiculopathy. The test-retest reliability for measuring pain distribution ranged from intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.58 to 0.94. Similarly, the test-retest reliability for measuring pain location ranged from kappa (κ) of 0.13 to 0.85. The intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability for measuring pain distribution were intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99 and 0.99, respectively. The intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability for measuring pain location ranged from κ of 0.77 to 0.88 and 0.61 to 1.00, respectively.

Conclusions

We found important variations in the test-retest reliability of pain location and distribution across different test-retest scenarios and across body regions. The intraexaminer and interexaminer reliability for the measurement of pain distribution and pain location using the body pain diagram in patients with acute and chronic low back pain with or without radiculopathy are adequate.     

Nursing2008 Pain management survey report

How sharp are you about pain management? See how your responses to this survey compare with those of nursing colleagues across the country and beyond.     

术前疼痛知识教育对腹部术后疼痛控制效果的影响

目的了解术前疼痛知识教育对腹部术后患者对疼痛控制的认识、所采取的疼痛控制措施及疼痛控制效果的影响。方法采用非同期对照方法，将84例腹部手术患者分成两组，每组42例。术前对试验组进行疼痛知识教育及常规指导，对照组只进行常规指导，术后第2天下午完成“术后疼痛控制问卷”调查。结果试验组对疼痛控制的认识高于对照组（P〈0．05）。试验组术后采取深呼吸、听音乐的患者较对照组多（P〈0．05）；试验组患者能更为正确地使用镇痛泵（P〈0．05）；两组主动要求使用止痛药的人次及疼痛分值差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。试验组术后疼痛分值较对照组低（P〈0．05）。结论术前疼痛知识教育能提高腹部术后患者对疼痛控制的认识，促使其主动参与术后疼痛控制，从而提高术后疼痛控制效果。     

Pain sensitivity and opioid analgesia: a pharmacogenomic twin study

Opioids are the cornerstone medication for the management of moderate to severe pain. Unfortunately, vast inter-individual differences in dose requirements complicate their effective and safe clinical use. Mechanisms underlying such differences are incompletely understood, are likely multifactorial, and include genetic and environmental contributions. While accumulating evidence suggests that variants of several genes account for some of the observed response variance, the relative contribution of these factors remains unknown. This study used a twin paradigm to provide a global estimate of the genetic and environmental contributions to inter-individual differences in pain sensitivity and analgesic opioid effects. Eighty one monozygotic and 31 dizygotic twin pairs successfully underwent a computer-controlled infusion with the μ-opioid agonist alfentanil in a single occasion, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study design. Pain sensitivity and analgesic effects were assessed with experimental heat and cold pressor pain models along with important covariates including demographic factors, depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. Significant heritability was detected for cold pressor pain tolerance and opioid-mediated elevations in heat and cold pressor pain thresholds. Genetic effects accounted for 12-60% of the observed response variance. Significant familial effects accounting for 24-32% of observed variance were detected for heat and cold pressor pain thresholds and opioid-mediated elevation in cold pressor pain tolerance. Significant covariates included age, gender, race, education, and anxiety. Results provide a strong rationale for more detailed molecular genetic studies to elucidate mechanisms underlying inter-individual differences in pain sensitivity and analgesic opioid responses. Such studies will require careful consideration of the studied pain phenotype.     

Pain in older adults: a prevalence study in the Mediterranean region of Catalonia.

Although information is available about the prevalence of pain in older adults in Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian countries, very little is known about older adults in other parts of the world. This study reports the prevalence of pain in a randomly selected sample of older adults living in the Mediterranean region of Catalonia. Besides studying the existence of pain at the time of interview, the authors investigated several characteristics of the participants' pain experience: pain onset, number and location of pain sites, intensity of pain, number of days in pain, severity of pain, the extent to which pain interfered with daily life, and expressed needs in relation to pain. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of adults aged 65 years and over living in Catalonia. A total of 592 individuals participated in the study, and data was collected through personal interviews with participants. The prevalence of any pain was 73.5%, and similar across age groups but higher in females than in males. Among individuals suffering from pain, 94.2 were experiencing chronic pain (i.e., pain of three months' duration or more). The mean number of painful areas (out of 10) was 4.48. No clear pattern of the prevalence of regional pain was observed, although joints were the most frequently reported painful place. Pain interfered in the life of a considerable number of participants (35.5%), but no differences in the level of expressed needs was detected between those that were affected and those that were not. This study provides new evidence that pain is an important problem for the older adult, one that severely impacts on their health status, causing disability and reduced ability to function, particularly in older women.     

Pain catastrophizing and interpersonal problems: a circumplex analysis of the communal coping model

Using the circumplex model of interpersonal behavior [Handbook of research methods in clinical psychology, 1982], this study tested the communal coping model of catastrophizing (CCM) in a large (N=179) sample of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common, benign chronic pain disorder associated with significant painful extraintestinal comorbidity (e.g. headache, low back pain). Patients completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. The main findings were: (1) individuals who reported higher levels of catastrophizing described greater interpersonal problems; (2) the interpersonal problems described by catastrophizers fell within the friendly and friendly submissive quadrants of the circumplex supporting the notion that they have an interpersonal style demanding support and care-taking [Pain 103 (2003) 151]; (3) the pain coping behavior most strongly associated with interpersonal problems was catastrophizing; and (4) the relationship between interpersonal problems and catastrophizing remained after removing the influence of general symptomatic distress (i.e. an overall tendency to complain of psychological problems in general). In general, data provide evidence supporting the interpersonal distinctiveness of pain catastrophizing as postulated by the CCM. Advantages of a circumplex model and of interpersonal theory for understanding and testing the CCM are discussed.     

Acute Pain Teams in England: current provision and their role in postoperative pain management

This survey describes the current provision of multidisciplinary Acute Pain Teams (APTs) in acute English hospitals performing adult in-patient surgery (excluding maternity). Associations between the presence of an APT and a number of organizational and clinical initiatives for the management of postoperative pain are also explored. Postal questionnaires were sent to the Clinical Director of Anaesthetics or head of the APT at every acute English hospital providing separate anaesthetic services. After written and telephone reminders, the response rate was 86% (n = 226). Eighty-four per cent (n = 190) of respondents had an APT in their hospital. The presence of an APT was associated (P相似文献