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Pain prevalence and risk distribution among inpatients in a German teaching hospital.

Clin J Pain. 2009 Jun;25(5):431-7

Authors: Gerbershagen K, Gerbershagen HJ, Lutz J, Cooper-Mahkorn D, Wappler F, Limmroth V, Gerbershagen M

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to provide a cross-sectional analysis of pain prevalence, chronicity, and severity as well as the impact of pain on psychological and social variables in inpatients in various departments of a German teaching hospital. METHODS: Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire including sections on sociodemographic and socioeconomic data, pain variables, recent and past health care utilization, and screening questionnaires for depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Of the 438 patients, 386 (88.1%) had experienced pain in the past 12 months; 367 (83.8%) reported having pain in the previous 3 months. Sixty-four percent of the pain patients stated that pain was the main reason for hospital admission; 48% reported having three or more pain sites. The most common location of pain was the back (26.9%). Pain patients showed significantly higher depression and anxiety scores and markedly reduced physical health when compared to non-pain patients. DISCUSSION: The results of this study indicate that in most medical disciplines pain is more than merely a symptom of disease. In many instances pain should be considered a serious comorbidity that can influence the outcome of medical and surgical treatment. Recent research has shown that prevention of the pain chronification process is the most promising strategy for avoiding the development of intractable pain. Acceptance, recognition, and assessment of pain as a risk factor at an early stage are essential factors. A first step might involve routine screening for pain on admission to any hospital facility, and subsequently evaluating the impact of pain on biopsychosocial functions.

PMID: 19454878 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Adjuvant agents in cancer pain.

Clin J Pain. 2008 May;24 Suppl 10:S14-20

Authors: McGeeney BE

Cancer-related neuropathic pain derives from peripheral or central lesions of the nervous system and is often associated with the hallmark symptoms of allodynia (pain from a stimulus that does not normally evoke pain) and hyperalgesia (an exaggerated pain response to a normally painful stimulus). Pain is prevalent in patients with cancer and considerably undermines their quality of life, thereby making the development of a comprehensive pain management approach essential. Coanalgesics have been well integrated into cancer pain management strategies and are often used as first-line options for treatment of certain disease processes such as neuropathic pain. These medicines, including antidepressant and anticonvulsant agents, are recommended by evidence-based guidelines, whereas others, such as lidocaine patch 5%, are supported by randomized, controlled, clinical trial data.In addition to understanding which agents are recommended for neuropathic pain, it is useful to know which agents are of limited utility or are to be avoided when prescribing treatment for neuropathic pain. Notwithstanding the need for head-to-head studies before firm statements on comparative efficacy can be made, it is worth considering the numbers needed to treat statistic for the treatment of neuropathic pain with coanalgesics. Potentially harmful treatments are considered, as well as the numbers needed to treat, mechanisms of action, and clinical trial data for agents that can be beneficial for the management of cancer-associated neuropathic pain.

PMID: 18418224 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Predicting opioid misuse by chronic pain patients: a systematic review and literature synthesis.

Clin J Pain. 2008 Jul-Aug;24(6):497-508

Authors: Turk DC, Swanson KS, Gatchel RJ

BACKGROUND: Opioids can provide relief for people with chronic pain. However, a minority may develop aberrant drug behaviors. A critical issue is identifying “at-risk” patients. OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the evidence of published strategies for identifying at-risk patients to guide clinicians’ decisions and practices for prescribing opioid treatment for chronic pain patients (CPP). DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE database search from 1966 to March 20, 2007, searching the bibliographies from all retrieved articles, and articles available in the authors’ files. Studies were limited to human studies in the English language related to screening for predictors of aberrant drug behaviors in CPP who were prescribed long-term opioids. We included studies reviewing, developing measures, or investigating outcomes related to screening for aberrant opioid behaviors in CPP. RESULTS: We identified 6 published articles addressing clinician-based predictors of substance misuse of opioids and 9 published studies evaluating the predictive ability of clinical interviews and self-report measures for aberrant opioid behaviors in CPP. Several attempts have been made to develop procedures to identify at-risk patients including urine toxicology screening, structured interviews, observation, and self-report questionnaires. In general, the psychometric properties of the published questionnaires and interview protocols are weak; moreover, the samples included in the studies are often small and unrepresentative. Thus, none of them can be recommended for use with any confidence. CONCLUSION: Review of the published studies reveals that no one procedure or set of predictor variables is sufficient to identify CPP at-risk for opioid misuse or abuse. There is a scarcity of evidence regarding characteristics that predict aberrant behavior before beginning long-term opioids. Several predictors have been identified. Strong predictors include a personal history of illicit drug and alcohol abuse. Demographic factors have also been reported, but the results are not consistent. Prospective studies, especially ones with CPP who have not already been started on chronic opioid therapy, are needed.

PMID: 18574359 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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