Acute Pain Syndrome Research Articles

Unveiling loneliness: health determinants of feeling alone in the older urban residents

Abstract In older people health condition contributes to the feeling of being alone (loneliness). We aimed to assess which chronic health conditions are the strongest determinants of loneliness in older urban residents. Participants of the Polish part of the HAPIEE Study (Health Alcohol and Psychosocial Factors in Eastern Europe) examined in 2019-20 were included to the analysis. Trained nurses interviewed respondents in their homes. Loneliness was assessed using 3-item UCLA scale (range: 3-9, cuf-off≥ 6 points). Socioeconomic data, self-rated health (SRH) and the history of 18 diseases diagnosed by the doctor was assessed using standardized questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used; odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals are presented (OR (95%CI)). There were 461 participants (48% males) of mean age 72 years (SD = 6.3). In 34 participants (7%) UCLA score was 6 or more. The majority (63%) of respondents were married or cohabiting. Nearly 90% declared having children. After adjustment for marital status and having children, poor distance vision 3.84 (1.31-6.12), hearing problems 2.20 (1.07-4.53), acute back pain syndrome 2.21 (1.06-4.59) and cancer 2.36 (1.03-5.41) were determinants of loneliness. Further adjustment for age weakened the association with distance vision 2.74 (1.26-5.94) and waved the relationship with hearing problems 2.06 (0.99-4.29). The estimates for remaining health conditions remained almost unchanged. The strongest predictor of loneliness was SRH. After adjustment for age, marital status, having children and objective burden of chronic diseases, compared to good SRH, participants with moderate and poor SRH were more likely to report loneliness by over 3 and 6 times: 3.41 (1.29-9.05) and 6.60 (2.16-20.18), respectively. The perception of poor health and diagnosis of cancer strongly determined loneliness in older people, but other important predictors of loneliness were conditions that objectively hinder maintaining social contacts. Key messages • In older people health condition is related to the feeling of being alone, and the strongest objective health determinant of loneliness was diagnosis of cancer. • Independently of objective burden of chronic diseases, self-rated health was a significant predictor of loneliness in older urban residents.

Unlocking the Potential of the Superficial Cervical Plexus Block in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review and Single-Center, Retrospective Case Series.

Background/Objectives: The anesthetic block of the sensory branches of the superficial cervical plexus renders a specific area of the face, head, and anterior neck insensible and painless. Chronic pain in these areas can be difficult to diagnose and treat. In this report, we briefly review the existing evidence on the topic of the superficial cervical plexus block (SCPB) to set the context for our research. We then share our own clinical experience with the SCPB for managing chronic pain syndromes from both cancerous and non-cancerous etiologies. Methods: We first performed a comprehensive literature search and narrative review of clinical cases and studies that utilized the SCPB as an analgesic technique. We then conducted a retrospective case series of all patients who had received an SCPB at our pain clinic since 2020. Results: Our literature review found only a few cases reported, with most of them focusing on acute painful emergencies and perioperative pain syndromes and only very few addressing chronic pain. In our pain clinic, 14 patients received one or more SCPBs for chronic pain management. In 43% of these cases, the pain was related to cancer. The most common areas of pain corresponded to the regions supplied by the transverse cervical and great auricular nerves. The procedures were uneventful in all cases, and patients rated them as effective and worthwhile 71% of the time. Conclusions: Despite the lack of high-quality studies on SCPBs in pain management, the authors' experience suggests that it is a valid minimally invasive alternative for managing chronic face, head, and neck pain.

Impact of proprioceptive cervical dizziness in chronic neck pain syndromes on gait and stance during active head-turn challenges.

An earlier observational study described selected patients with acute neck pain syndrome, who experienced short bursts of cervical vertigo elicited by rapid head movements. The current study on a larger cohort of 20 patients with chronic or frequently recurring neck pain syndrome and age-matched controls focused on two major questions: (1) Can head movements in subjects with exacerbations of neck pain and restrictions of neck mobility also elicit bursts of vertigo? (2) What is the impact on postural balance measured by analysis of body sway and locomotion? A detailed questionnaire was applied, posture and gait were evaluated by use of instrumented posturography-and gait analysis with and without slow or rapid horizontal head rotations in the yaw plane with and without sight/visual input. All patients reported some or frequent episodes of dizziness in the range of seconds only elicited by rapid, not by slow head movements. Postural sway in patients was unremarkable in undisturbed conditions without head movements, but specifically increased by rapid but not slow head turns. The latter is best explained by the lack of continuous control of velocity and amplitude of saccadic head movements. Gait analysis revealed a slowed and cautious gait pattern already at undisturbed condition that was even exaggerated during rapid head turns. These observations demonstrate that chronic or recurrent neck pain is associated with episodic experiences of dizziness and above results in both chronic and episodic alterations of stance and gait that resemble those described for patients with phobic postural vertigo/persistent postural perceptual dizziness, a functional gait disorder.

Возможности применения рефлексотерапии в реабилитации военнослужащих

The rehabilitation of military personnel who are injured or suffer from the psychological and physical consequences of hostilities is one of the key tasks of military medicine. Recently, reflexology methods attract more and more attention as an effective addition to traditional approaches. The purpose of the review is to consider the main mechanisms of action and the possibility of applying reflexology methods in the rehabilitation of military personnel. The article presents scientific research and sources confirming the effectiveness of acupuncture in the comprehensive restoration of the physical performance of conscripts, when stopping acute and chronic pain syndromes, including acupuncture on the battlefield (Battlefield Acupuncture), clinical manifestations of post -traumatic stress disorders, as well as in military surgery and traumatology. Reflexotherapy methods have a wide range of opportunities in the rehabilitation of military personnel and can have a significant impact on the well -being and quality of life of veterans and in military service.

Differential effects of everyday-life social support on chronic pain

BackgroundSocial support is a multidimensional construct encompassing emotional support as well as pain-focused care and attention, also known as solicitous support. One the one hand, social support is widely believed to positively influence pain symptoms, their intensity, and the ability to cope and influence pain. On the other hand, social support can be negative if it conflicts with the patient’s needs or even causes discomfort. How different types of social support influence pain is not very well understood especially because most of the present research originates from laboratory studies, raising uncertainties about its generalizability to the everyday life of individuals with chronic pain.MethodsHere, we tested the effects of emotional, solicitous, and negative social support on pain intensity cross-sectionally in everyday life. We collected data from 20 patients with acute complex regional pain syndrome using a smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment with up to 30 survey prompts over a period of five consecutive days.ResultsOur results showed that solicitous social support decreased pain, in particular in male patients. Emotional support was beneficial on pain in women but not in men.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings highlight the differential effects of social support in every-day life on chronic pain.

Neuro-microcirculatory interrelationships in patients with kyphoscoliosis associated with neurological deficits

Background: The use of laser Doppler flowmetry with spectral wavelet analysis of blood flow fluctuations allows us to assess the functional state of thin unmyelinated nerve fibers and objectify the dynamics of recovery processes in patients with kyphoscoliotic spinal deformities associated with spinal cord compression. AIM: To study the features of neuromicrocirculatory relationships in patients with kyphoscoliosis associated with neurological deficits before and after surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 patients with spinal deformities associated with neurological deficits of varying severity were examined using the LDF method and operated on. Patients were examined before surgery, 1–2 weeks after surgery following regression of acute postoperative pain syndrome, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, and more than a year after surgery. The scope of the study included a general examination with a detailed assessment of the neurological status, radiation diagnostics (postural radiographs of the spine, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine with assessment of spinal canal stenosis). Patients with severe kyphoscoliotic deformities underwent CT myelography followed by the design of individual full-size 3D plastic models of the spine and myeloradicular structures. LDF with wavelet analysis was carried out at all periods of the survey. A perfusion study with determination of the average microcirculation was carried out at the level of the pad of the distal phalanx of the big toe using a two-channel LAKK-02 device with a semiconductor laser (sensing in the red Raman and infrared IR channels). The obtained LDF results were processed by spectral amplitude-frequency wavelet analysis to characterize microcirculation regulation factors in the ranges of sympathetic adrenergic regulation (0.02–0.046 Hz), sensory peptidergic influences (0.047–0.069 Hz), myogenic oscillations (0.07–0.145 Hz). RESULTS: After surgery, the activity of trophotropic sensory peptidergic nerve fibers, the values of perfusion of the microcirculatory channel increased and was maintained starting from the early postoperative period. Ergotropic sympathetic adrenergic activity was significantly decreased in the period of 6-12 months after surgery. Maximum mobilization of trophotropic neurogenic mechanisms of sanogenesis was observed in the period of 6-12 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: The obtained data indicate a significant participation of thin nerve fibers in the recovery processes after decompressive surgeries in the spinal canal zone and the creation of anatomical conditions for neurophysiological repair at the spinal cord level. The use of the LDF method with spectral wavelet analysis of blood flow fluctuations makes it possible to objectify the dynamics of thin unmyelinated nerve fibers and recovery processes in patients with kyphoscoliotic deformities of the spine associated with spinal cord compression.

Canadian Association of Radiologists Cardiovascular Imaging Referral Guideline.

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Cardiovascular Expert Panel is made up of physicians from the disciplines of radiology, cardiology, and emergency medicine, a patient advisor, and an epidemiologist/guideline methodologist. After developing a list of 30 clinical/diagnostic scenarios, a rapid scoping review was undertaken to identify systematically produced referral guidelines that provide recommendations for one or more of these clinical/diagnostic scenarios. Recommendations from 48 guidelines and contextualization criteria in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) for guidelines framework were used to develop 125 recommendation statements across the 30 scenarios (27 unique scenarios as 2 scenarios point to the CAR Thoracic Diagnostic Imaging Referral Guideline and the acute pericarditis subscenario is included under 2 main scenarios). This guideline presents the methods of development and the referral recommendations for acute chest pain syndromes, chronic chest pain, cardiovascular screening and risk stratification, pericardial syndromes, intracardiac/pericardial mass, suspected valvular disease cardiomyopathy, aorta, venous thrombosis, and peripheral vascular disease.

Effect of a combination of rhinoplasty and septoplasty on the development of acute postoperative syndrome and cortisol secretion into blood plasma

Purpose of the study: to evaluate the effect of a combination of rhinoplasty and septoplasty on the development of acute postoperative syndrome and the secretion of cortisol into the blood plasma.Material and methods. A study was conducted in a group of 98 patients who underwent septoplasty, rhinoplasty or rhinoseptoplasty. Using a Digital Rating Scale, the intensity of pain was assessed 3, 6, 24, 48 hours after the end of surgery. The day before, immediately before and 6 hours after surgical interventions, all patients underwent blood sampling to determine the concentration of cortisol in the blood plasma. The data obtained were compared within groups over time, as well as between groups at the corresponding assessment points.Results. The intensity of pain 3 hours after surgery was significantly lower in the group of patients after rhinoplasty and significantly decreased after 6 (p < 0.001), 24 (p < 0.01), 48 (p < 0.001) hours after surgery, compared with patients who underwent septoplasty and rhinoseptoplasty. In the early postoperative period, patients from the rhinoplasty group had the lowest cortisol concentrations in the blood plasma, compared with patients after septoplasty (p < 0.001) and rhinoseptoplasty (p < 0.01). In patients who underwent rhinoseptoplasty, the level of cortisol in the blood was significantly higher compared with patients after septoplasty (p < 0.01).Conclusion. The assessment of acute pain using a digital rating scale after rhinosurgical interventions showed that septoplasty provokes the development of a stronger acute pain syndrome in the early postoperative period, which proves its trauma compared to rhinoplasty. Simultaneous rhinoplasty and septoplasty in the first days after surgery contributes to an increase in the concentration of cortisol in blood plasma, as well as an increase in pain syndrome.

Acute pain syndromes in injuries to the nerves and plexuses of the limbs

Injuries of peripheral nerves and plexuses cause serious disorders in the affected limbs. Unfortunately, the frequency of nerve injuries and limb plexuses is steadily increasing in our country, due to hostilities, which emphasizes the extreme relevance of this pathology. The aim of the review is to consider the current data on pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and treatment of acute pain syndromes in patients with injuries of peripheral nerves and limb plexuses. Materials and methods. Scientific databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, as well as the materials of the International Association for the study of pain were used to search for sources of research information. The main studies were found in Pubmed, Google Scholar and materials of the International Association for the study of pain and made up 191 sources of information, 150 of which were excluded from the review due to insufficient data on pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and treatment of pain syndromes in patients with damage to the nerves and plexuses of the limbs, thus 41 sources of information formed the basis of the review. Results: Brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injuries can be associated with any combination of nociceptive, neuropathic, phantom limb pain, and even complex regional pain syndromes. Acute neuropathic pain is an under-recognized condition, often difficult to treat and can progress to persistent pain and disability. Neuropathic pain develops because the main damage affects the somatosensory system. It is caused by peripheral nerve damage and associated changes in the central nervous system. The first line of pharmacological treatment for neuropathic pain according to current guidelines is anticonvulsant drugs that affect neuronal calcium channels, as well as tri- and tetracyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Conclusions: At the current stage, progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of development of the pathological condition and in the development of therapeutic approaches, however, the chronicity of pain syndrome in patients with damage to the nerves and plexuses of the limbs is still high, which requires further research to develop complex pathogenetic therapy and better understanding of the mechanisms pain in this category of patients

History and prospects for the use of morphine in clinical practice: literature review

The authors analyzed various studies on acute and chronic pain syndrome treatment. This review provides brief historical data on the discovery and use of morphine from ancient times to present. Morphine remains one of the most common painkillers worldwide and has a rich history dating back more than 200 years. Its basic properties, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and principles of use are discussed. No drug has had such an impact on society as morphine because of its medical use as a pain reliever and its illicit use as a drug of addiction and abuse. This review includes the main modern recommendations for the treatment of acute and chronic pain, particularly from the World Health Organization for the treatment of chronic pain and the Procedure-Specific Postoperative Pain Management (PROSPECT) group for the treatment of postoperative pain in various surgical interventions. The types of opioids and their clinical use are described, and the authors’ opinion on the current use of morphine for treating acute and chronic pain syndrome is presented.

Criteria-based assessment of analgesic activity of condensed 3-aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridines and 1,4-dihydropyridines derivatives based on dataexperimental studies

BACKGROUND: An urgent task in pharmacology is to identify highly effective drugs with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. Heterocyclic cyanothioacetamide compounds are of considerable interest. Most authors evaluate the results of studies with separate private indicators of analgesic activity, and their comprehensive criterion assessment is insufficiently defined.
 AIM: Development of a criterion assessment in the study of analgesic activity and the establishment of its generalized criteria for samples of chemical compounds of medicinal products.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiments were performed on 390 male rats weighing 250–280 g in the laboratory of the Department of Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology of St. Luke Lugansk State Medical University. Intact, control and reference (comparison group) groups of ten animals in each group were formed for each pharmacological test. In the intact group, the rats were unharmed. The control group received 2 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride solution intragastrically before each pharmacological test to establish analgesic activity. The reference group was injected with sodium metamizole at a dose of 7 mg/kg intragastrally once 1.5 h before modelling an acute pain reaction. Ten experimental groups were also formed, in which rats were injected with appropriate samples of new original studied derivatives of condensed 3-aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridines and 1,4-dihydropyridine intragastrically at a dose of 5 mg/kg 1.5 h before modelling acute pain syndrome. Tests for orofacial trigeminal pain, thermal immersion and hot plate were simulated. The indicators of the analgesic effect were the frequency of scratching movements in the orofacial trigeminal pain test and a statistically significant increase in the latent reaction period after the administration of the studied substances in the thermal immersion tests of the tail and hot plate.
 RESULTS: The studied samples with ciphers AZ-023, AZ-331 and AZ-383 showed maximum analgesic activity. The proposed criterion of analgesic activity in the experimental groups receiving thienopyridine derivatives with the AZ-023 cipher, according to the results of three tests, was 50.1, exceeding the indicator in the comparison group by 42 times. The values of this criterion in the experimental groups that received new 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives with laboratory ciphers AZ-331 and AZ-383 for preventive purposes were the maximum in this series of experiments (64.3 and 68.4), which is 53–57 times higher than that of sodium metamizole.
 CONCLUSION: The methodology for assessing analgesic activity can be improved based on a criteria-based approach with the aggregation of particular indicators into an abstract model that allows quantifying the degree of analgesic activity. An integral criterion for the analgesic activity of cyanothioacetamide derivatives based on experimental data is proposed. In the future, the proposed approach can be used in studies of various analgesic samples.

Efficiency of dry needling along with standard physical treatment in people with lumbar pain syndrome

Introduction: The complaints that occur in the area of the lumbar spine are summarized under the term lumbar pain syndrome. These include lumbar discopathy, lumbago, lumboischialgia, sciatica, and other complaints associated with the lumbar region of the spine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics, assess the degree of disability patients experience due to lumbar pain syndrome, evaluate how many patients catastrophize their pain, and assess the effectiveness of the dry needling technique along with other physical therapy modalities in people with lumbar pain syndrome. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective study conducted from March 2022 to June 2022. 35 subjects of both sexes, aged 25-83, agreed to participate in the study. The subjects who enrolled were pre-dominantly suffering from chronic lumbar pain syndrome, and there were also a smaller number of subjects with acute lumbar pain syndrome. Results: The majority of respondents suffer from lumbar pain syndrome, which falls into the chronic category in 29 or 82.9% of cases. The mean score after the application of therapy on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scale was 22.0 ± 16.23% and was statistically significantly lower. The average score after the application of the therapy on the visual analog scale (VAS) was 3.06 ± 2.31 and is statistically significantly lower (p < 0.05) compared to the period before the therapy. Conclusion: Dry needling in combination with standard physical procedures led to statistically significant improvements. The mean score on the pain catastrophe scale, VAS, and ODI was significantly lower than in the pre-therapy period.

Bilateral deficiency of Meissner corpuscles and papillary microvessels in patients with acute complex regional pain syndrome.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) presents postinjury with disproportionate pain and neuropathic, autonomic, motor symptoms, and skin texture affection. However, the origin of these multiplex changes is unclear. Skin biopsies offer a window to analyze the somatosensory and vascular system as well as skin trophicity with their protecting barriers. In previous studies, barrier-protective exosomal microRNAs were altered in CRPS. We here postulated that tissue architecture and barrier proteins are already altered at the beginning of CRPS. We analyzed ipsilateral and contralateral skin biopsies of 20 fully phenotyped early CRPS patients compared with 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We established several automated unbiased methods to comprehensively analyze microvessels and somatosensory receptors as well as barrier proteins, including claudin-1, claudin-5, and claudin-19. Meissner corpuscles in the skin were bilaterally reduced in acute CRPS patients with some of them lacking these completely. The number of Merkel cells and the intraepidermal nerve fiber density were not different between the groups. Dermal papillary microvessels were bilaterally less abundant in CRPS, especially in patients with allodynia. Barrier proteins in keratinocytes, perineurium of dermal nerves, Schwann cells, and papillary microvessels were not affected in early CRPS. Bilateral changes in the tissue architecture in early CRPS might indicate a predisposition for CRPS that manifests after injury. Further studies should evaluate whether these changes might be used to identify risk patients for CRPS after trauma and as biomarkers for outcome.

Approach to acute chest pain and acute coronary syndrome in adults.

Approach to acute chest pain and acute coronary syndrome in adults.

Comparison of the efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Short Wave Diathermy on Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Background: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is widely used as a therapeutic adjunct in the management of low back pain. It is a relatively safe, non-invasive, and easy-to-use modality, making it an attractive treatment option. For more than four decades, TENS has been applied in the treatment of acute and chronic pain syndromes. Short wave diathermy (SWD) is a modality that produces deep heating by converting electromagnetic energy to thermal energy. Short wave diathermy (SWD) is also a popular therapy for low back pain. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy between TENS and SWD on chronic nonspecific low back pain patients. 120 patients with chronic low back pain were treated according to inclusion & exclusion criteria. Patients were equally distributed in three groups. Group-A patients (n=40) were treated with NSAID+ADL, Group-B patients (n=40) were treated with NSAID+ADL+TENS, and Group-C patients (n=40) were treated with NSAID+ADL+SWD. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Data were calculated and analyzed by computer-based software SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) Windows 16.0 version. Main outcome measure (s) Age, Sex, Occupational status, Socioeconomic status, Subjective pain intensity score, Visual Analogue Scale, Tenderness index, Disability due to pain, Spinal mobility index, and Oswestry disability Index. Results: The mean duration of pain was found to be 23.90±2.57 months in group A, 21.0+1.50 months in group B and 22.1±1.89 months in group C. The visual analog score was improved individually in group-A, group B and Group C after treatment, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). Oswestry disability questionnaire score was also improved individually in group-A, group B and Group C after treatment, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). In the case of comparison between group-B and Group C, this was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In this current study, it was observed that the entire variable individually improved in Group-A, Group B, and Group C. So, all three treatment groups benefited from drugs and therapy. But, these were not statistically significant (P>0.05) between Group B and Group C. Conclusion: Beneficial effects of TENS and SWD were seen in the study population, but no firm conclusion could be drawn. TAJ 2023; 36: No-2: 135-143

An integrated approach to the treatment of acute pain syndrome in military personnel with phantom pain at the hospital stage

Resume. Taking into account the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the problem of adequate pain relief for patients with phantom pain has become relevant, especially at the hospital stage. Effective pain relief for such patients improves their quality of life, so it is of significant socio-economic importance. Objective. To investigate the results of treatment of phantom pain in military personnel at the hospital stage and to develop the basis for a protocol for the treatment of acute phantom pain syndrome in such patients. Materials and methods. The number of military patients who were treated at the Feofaniya Clinical Hospital and participated in the study is not disclosed, as any military losses are a military secret. The number of subjects with phantom pain was 35.7% of the total number of wounded military patients. The intensity of pain was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the neuropathic pain scale (thes-lanss pain score) and the phantom pain scale Limb deficiency and phantom limb questionnaire. Depression and anxiety in patients were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), PHQ9. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Patients were treated according to the local protocol of Feofania Clinical Hospital. Results. The data of pain intensity scales in military patients with phantom pain before and after treatment at the stage of clinical hospitals showed a decrease in pain intensity in 94 % of patients, improvement in sleep in 92 % of patients and reduction in anxiety and depression in 81 % of patients. Conclusions. Based on these scales, it can be concluded that it is the combined approach to the treatment of phantom pain in the military at the stage of clinical hospitals that can improve the quality of life of military personnel, and in some cases relieve such patients from acute pain, thereby preventing the development of chronic pain syndrome. The developed protocol for the treatment of phantom pain can be recommended for use in other medical institutions in Ukraine. Conclusions. cases relieve such patients from acute pain, thereby preventing the development of chronic pain syndrome. Tcan be recommended for use in other medical institutions in Ukraine

NOVEMA® NIGHT (diphenhydramine + naproxen) in patients with pain and insomnia: results of a multicenter non-interventional observational study

Pain and sleep disorders are interrelated problems that significantly affect patients’ quality of life (QoL) and daily functioning.Objective: to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the use of the combination of diphenhydramine + naproxen (NOVEMA® NIGHT) in patients with acute pain syndrome or exacerbation of chronic pain syndrome and sleep disorders.Material and methods. The study included 4365 outpatients with acute pain (musculoskeletal pain, post-traumatic pain, headache) and sleep disorders who took naproxen 275 mg, 1 tablet in the morning and diphenhydramine 25 mg + naproxen 220 mg (NOVEMA® NIGHT) for 5 days before bedtime. Pain intensity, using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and sleep disorders were assessed before and after treatment; QoL was assessed after treatment using a five-point scale.Results. During treatment, a reduction or complete regression of pain was observed in 92% of cases (60 [50; 61] points on the VAS before treatment versus 10 [0; 20] after treatment; p<0.0001) and normalisation of sleep in most patients: faster falling asleep – in 81% (χ2=9650.2; p<0.0001), an increase in total sleep duration – in 75.5% (χ2=7351.2; p<0.0001), a decrease in the number of nocturnal awakenings – in 84% of patients (χ2=10,568; p<0.0001). At the end of treatment course, the majority of patients rated their quality of life as 4 out of 5 possible points (4 [4; 5]): 41% of patients – “high quality of life”; 48% – “above average”; 11% – “average”; 0.09% – “below average”). None of the patients had a low QoL. The therapy was well tolerated and no patient discontinued treatment due to adverse events (AEs).Conclusion. Short-term treatment (5 days) with naproxen 275 mg and a combination of diphenhydramine 25 mg + naproxen 220 mg (NOVEMA® NIGHT) at bedtime effectively reduces the pain syndrome associated with insomnia. This therapy significantly improves patients’ QoL and has a low risk of AEs, so that we can recommend NOVEMA® NIGHT as an additional analgesic for patients with concomitant sleep disorders.

Preclinical loading in patients with acute chest pain and acute coronary syndrome - PRELOAD survey

Guidelines on myocardial infarction (MI) recommend antithrombotic and anticoagulatory treatment at time of diagnosis. MI with ST segment elevation (STEMI) is mostly acertain diagnosis. Acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation (NSTE-ACS) has diagnostic uncertainty and remains aworking diagnosis in the prehospital setting. Assessment of prehospital loading with aspirin and heparin depending on ACS subtype and pretreatment with oral anticoagulants. The PRELOAD survey was anationwide German study. STEMI/NSTE-ACS scenarios were designed and varied in pretreatment: I)no pretreatment, II)new oral anticoagulants (NOAC), III)vitaminK antagonist (VKA). Loading strategy was assessed and included: a)aspirin (ASA), b)unfractionated heparin (UFH), c)ASA + UFH, d)no loading. A total of 708 emergency physicians were included. In NSTE-ACS without pretreatment, 79% chose loading (p < 0.001). ASA + UFH (71.4%) was the preferred option. In corresponding STEMI scenario, 100% chose loading and 98.6% preferred ASA + UFH (p < 0.001). In NSTE-ACS with NOAC pretreatment, 69.8% favored loading (p < 0.001); in VKA pretreatment the corresponding rate was 72.3% (p < 0.001). In each scenario, ASA was the preferred option. In STEMI with NOAC pretreatment, 97.5% chose loading (p < 0.001); analogous rate was 96.8% in STEMI with VKA pretreatment (p < 0.001). ASA was the preferred option again. Prehospital loading was the preferred treatment strategy despite the diagnostic uncertainty in NSTE-ACS and guidelines recommending loading at time of diagnosis. Pretreatment with oral anticoagulants resulted in astrategy shift to loading with only aspirin. In STEMI patients, this indicates potential undertreatment.

Inpatient Use of Extended-Release (ER) Opioids for Vaso-Occlusive Crisis Associated with Increased Length of Stay for ER Opioid-Naïve Patients

Background: The intermittent acute pain syndrome associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) is a poorly understood phenomenon with complex pathophysiology. Given the broad spectrum of analgesic interventions, including immediate-release (IR) and extended-release (ER) opioids, healthcare providers are challenged with the task of safely and effectively escalating inpatient opioid regimens, especially in the setting of limited guidelines outlining the combination of different opioid formulations. Despite SCD being the most common genetic disorder in the United States, more research is required to improve physician expertise with appropriate and timely pain management of vaso-occlusive crisis. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review (n=200) of patients with known SCD requiring hospitalization for acute pain secondary to vaso-occlusive crisis without an alternative etiology of pain symptoms. The review included a patient population aged 18-67 years old with 43.5% males and 56.5% females hospitalized from 2/1/2022 to 5/6/2022. The primary outcome measure was hospital length of stay (LOS) for adequate pain control compared against varying factors of inpatient opioid-prescribing practices, including initiation or continuation (if prescribed within 6 months prior to admission encounter per PDMP review) of an ER opioid formulation, degree of morphine milligram equivalents (MME) escalation from outpatient regimen, utilization of a sickle cell analgesic order set, and initiation of patient-controlled analgesia pump (PCA). A secondary outcome measure investigated was the quantitative comparison of highest daily prescribed MME in relation to the aforementioned inpatient variables. Data analysis was completed using Wilcoxon Rank Summary analysis, with a significant p-value set to &amp;lt; 0.05. Results: Among the primary outcome analysis, the only significant factor affecting LOS was the introduction of an ER opioid. The results show that within the patient cohort naïve to an outpatient ER opioid (n=105), ER opioid-incorporated inpatient analgesic regimens resulted in a significantly increased mean LOS compared to IR opioid monotherapy regimens, with an average of 8.8 inpatient days as compared to 5.3 days, respectively (p-value &amp;lt; 0.001). For the patients prescribed an outpatient ER opioid at baseline (n=95), the continuation of an inpatient ER opioid did not result in a significant change in mean LOS, calculated as 6.7 days vs. 6.0 days in the continued and non-continued groups, respectively (p-value = 0.716). Among the secondary outcome measures, utilization of a sickle cell order set and PCA did not significantly affect degree of MME escalation. Conclusions: Limited evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of acute pain episodes in SCD has resulted in widely varying opioid regimens prescribed by inpatient providers and has created clinical challenges regarding the optimization of pain management. This study investigated inpatient opioid regimens utilized in treatment of vaso-occlusive crisis and found that the initiation of ER opioids resulted in increased length of stay for ER opioid-naïve patients as compared to treatment with IR opioids alone. These results question the benefit of inpatient ER opioids in relation to the risk of opioid dependence and MME escalation.

Evidence-Based Guideline on the Prevention and Management of Perioperative Pain for Breast Cancer Peoples in a Low-Resource Setting: A Systematic Review Article.

Breast surgery for breast cancer is associated with significant acute and persistent postoperative pain. Surgery is the primary type of treatment, but up to 60% of breast cancer patients experience persistent pain after surgery, and 40% of them develop acute postmastectomy pain syndrome. Preoperative stress, involvement of lymph nodes while dissecting, and the postoperative psychological state of the patients play vital roles in managing the postoperative pain of the patients. The objective of this study is to develop evidence-based guideline on the prevention and management of perioperative pain for breast cancer surgical patients. An exhaustive literature search was made from PubMed, Cochrane Review, PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari, and CINAHIL databases that are published from 2012 to 2022 by setting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. After data extraction, filtering was made based on the methodological quality, population data, interventions, and outcome of interest. Finally, one guideline, two meta-analyses, ten systematic reviews, 25 randomized clinical trials and ten observational studies are included in this review, and a conclusion was made based on their level of evidence and grade of recommendation. A total of 38 studies were considered in this evaluation. The development of this guideline was based on different studies performed on the diagnosis, risk stratification and risk reduction, prevention of postoperative pain, and treatments of postoperative pain. The management of postoperative pain can be categorized as risk assessment, minimizing risk, early diagnosis, and treatment. Early diagnosis is the mainstay to identify and initiate treatment. The perioperative use of a nonpharmacological approach (including preoperative positive inspirational words and positive expectation) as an adjunct to the intraoperative regional anesthetic technique with general anesthesia with proper dosage of the standard pharmacological multimodal regimens is the first-line treatment. For postoperative analgesia, an extended form of intraoperative regional technique, nonpharmacologic technique, and NSAIDs can be used with the opioid-sparing anesthesia technique.