Abstract
Background. Acute onset pain is one of the common reasons for cancer patients to present to the emergency department. In our study, we compared painkillers used in cancer patients admitted to the emergency department with pain complaints and their effectiveness and the superiorities of these painkillers in pain relief and their superiorities over each other. Materials and methods. The pain scores of the patients were asked at the time of admission by showing a visual analogue scale. Before treatment, pain scores were recorded. The patients were divided into four different groups according to the type of given treatment: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; opioid painkillers; paracetamol; paracetamol and opioid therapy. After the treatment, we asked which painkiller written in the treatment form was administered to the patient and recorded the pain score. Results. It was observed that the median pain score before and after treatment of the patients in all painkiller groups differed statically. When the median scores before and after treatment were compared according to drug types, no difference was found between the decrease in pain scores (p = 0.956 and p = 0.705, respectively). It was concluded that the pre-treatment and post-treatment median pain scores of patients who are using non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids at home did not differ statistically (p = 0.063). Conclusions. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol or opioids was not found to be superior to each other in patients with acute severe cancer pain.
Highlights
Cancer patients are referred to the Emergency Department with a range of oncological symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dehydration, neutropenia, fever and acute pain and treated there
When the comorbid diseases of the patients included in the study were examined, it was seen that the highest rates were hypertension (HT) 26.5 % and diabetes mellitus (DM) 18.1 %
According to the World Health Organization’s cancer pain management guideline, paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not recommended as initial treatment for moderate and severe cancer pain
Summary
Acute onset pain causes 10 to 41 % of all emergency department visits among cancer patients 81). The patients were divided into four different groups according to the type of given treatment: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; opioid painkillers; paracetamol; paracetamol and opioid therapy. It was observed that the median pain score before and after treatment of the patients in all painkiller groups differed statically. It was concluded that the pre-treatment and post-treatment median pain scores of patients who are using non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids at home did not differ statistically (p = 0.063). The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, paracetamol or opioids was not found to be superior to each other in patients with acute severe cancer pain.
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