Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool Scores Research Articles

Effects of Natural Sound Therapy on Pain and Agitation Induced by Endotracheal Suctioning: A Real-World Study.

Music therapy has been used as a complementary intervention to provide synergistic analgesia for various procedures. To evaluate the effects of natural sound therapy on pain intensity and agitation scores in intubated adult Chinese patients who received endotracheal suctioning in a critical care unit. A prospective, real-world, randomized, double-blind, controlled study was conducted from July 2021 through February 2022 among intubated surgical intensive care unit patients in a Chinese hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to a control group receiving conventional treatment or an intervention group receiving natural sound therapy plus conventional treatment (50 patients in each group). Patients' pain intensity and agitation levels were analyzed before, during, immediately after, 5 minutes after, and 15 minutes after completion of endotracheal suctioning. Pain intensity was assessed with the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT); agitation was assessed with the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS). According to CPOT scores, patients in the intervention group had significant relief of pain intensity during, immediately after, and 5 minutes after endotracheal suctioning compared with patients in the control group (all P < .001). The RASS scores showed that agitation levels were significant lower in the intervention group than in the control group during (P = .002) and immediately after (P < .001) endotracheal suctioning. In this real-world study, natural sound therapy was part of a holistic bundle of interventions used to reduce pain and agitation in surgical intensive care unit patients during endotracheal suctioning.

Safety and Efficacy of Butorphanol as an Analgesic for Patients on Mechanical Ventilation after Cardiac Surgery: An Exploratory Prospective Observational Study

Purpose: This study assessed the safety and analgesic efficacy of butorphanol in patients receiving mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery. Methods: This was a prospective study. A consecutive cohort of patients from our medical center who underwent cardiac surgery followed by mechanical ventilation between January 2021 and April 2022 were divided into two groups and received either butorphanol or morphine for analgesia, and all patients also received propofol for sedation. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test or chi-square test, and the pain levels of the two groups were compared based on the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), as well as sedation based on the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), and incidences of adverse events. Results: The two groups, each of which contained 70 patients, reported similar analgesic efficacy; the CPOT score was almost 0 and the RASS score was between 0 and –3. The butorphanol group experienced significantly lower rates of nausea, respiratory depression, and drowsiness. However, the two groups experienced similar rates of vomiting, pruritus, drowsiness, constipation, and delirium, durations of mechanical ventilation, use of sedative drugs, and lengths of stay in the intensive care unit. Conclusions: For patients on mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery, butorphanol can provide analgesic effects similar to those of morphine with a potentially lower risk of certain adverse events.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Indonesian version of the Critical-care Pain Observation Tool

ObjectiveThe Critical-care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) is one of the most accurate methods for assessing pain in ICU patients with critical illness and/or a decreased level of consciousness (LOC). This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the CPOT. MethodsThe English version of CPOT was translated into the Indonesian version following five steps: initial translation, synthesis of instrument translation results, back translation, validation of the instrument by an expert committee, and testing of the Indonesian instrument. Between September and December 2022, a total of 52 ICU patients from four hospitals in Indonesia were evaluated for pain at rest, during body-turning procedure, and 15 minutes after the procedure using the CPOT. The researcher used the verbal Faces Pain Thermometer (FPT) instrument as a gold standard to assess the CPOT’s criteria validity. Validity assessments included content and criterion validity. Reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s α coefficient and interrater reliability. ResultsHigher CPOT scores were found during the body-turning procedure than at rest and after the procedure. The instrument’s item-content validity index (I-CVI) ranged from 0.75 to 1.00, and the overall instrument’s average scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) was 0.93. The statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation (r) between the CPOT and the patient’s FPT scores (0.877–0.983, P < 0.01). The significant agreement amongst raters (κ) revealed the inter-rater reliability of the CPOT (0.739–0.834, P < 0.01). ConclusionThe Indonesian version of the CPOT has been proven valid and reliable in assessing pain in patients with critical illness and/or decreased LOC.

Continuous visualization and validation of pain in critically ill patients using artificial intelligence: a retrospective observational study

Machine learning tools have demonstrated viability in visualizing pain accurately using vital sign data; however, it remains uncertain whether incorporating individual patient baselines could enhance accuracy. This study aimed to investigate improving the accuracy by incorporating deviations from baseline patient vital signs and the concurrence of the predicted artificial intelligence values with the probability of critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) ≥ 3 after fentanyl administration. The study included adult patients in intensive care who underwent multiple pain-related assessments. We employed a random forest model, utilizing arterial pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, gender, age, and Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale score as explanatory variables. Pain was measured as the probability of CPOT scores of ≥ 3, and subsequently adjusted based on each patient's baseline. The study included 10,299 patients with 117,190 CPOT assessments. Of these, 3.3% had CPOT scores of ≥ 3. The random forest model demonstrated strong accuracy with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.903. Patients treated with fentanyl were grouped based on CPOT score improvement. Those with ≥ 1-h of improvement after fentanyl administration had a significantly lower pain index (P = 0.020). Therefore, incorporating deviations from baseline patient vital signs improved the accuracy of pain visualization using machine learning techniques.

Validation of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) in pediatric patients undergoing orthopedic surgery

ABSTRACT Background Postoperative pain cannot be measured accurately among many children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, resulting in underrecognition or delay in recognition of pain. The Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) is a pain assessment tool that has been widely validated in critically ill and postoperative adults. Aims The objective of this study was to validate the CPOT for use with pediatric patients able to self-report and undergoing posterior spinal fusion surgery. Methods Twenty-four patients (10–18 years old) scheduled to undergo surgery were consented to this repeated-measure, within-subject study. To examine discriminative and criterion validation, CPOT scores and patients’ self-reports of pain intensity were collected prospectively by a bedside rater before, during, and after a nonnociceptive and nociceptive procedure on the day following surgery. Patients’ behavioral reactions were video recorded at the bedside and retrospectively viewed by two independent video raters to examine interrater and intrarater reliability of CPOT scores. Results Discriminative validation was supported with higher CPOT scores during the nociceptive procedure than during the nonnociceptive procedure. Criterion validation was supported with a moderate positive correlation between the CPOT scores and the patients’ self-reported pain intensity during the nociceptive procedure. A CPOT cutoff score of ≥2 was associated with the maximum sensitivity (61.3%) and specificity (94.1%). Reliability analyses revealed poor to moderate agreement between bedside and video raters and moderate to excellent consistency within video raters. Conclusions These findings suggest that the CPOT may be a valid tool to detect pain in pediatric patients in the acute postoperative inpatient care unit after posterior spinal fusion.

Analgesic efficacy of butorphanol combined with sufentanil after heart valve surgery: A propensity score-matching analysis

Pain is common after heart valve surgery and can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, causing hemodynamic instability and respiratory complications. Current treatments for postoperative pain are insufficient, and postoperative pain is difficult to control effectively with a single analgesic. Therefore, we investigated the analgesic efficacy of butorphanol with sufentanil after heart valve surgery and its hemodynamic effects. The records of 221 patients admitted to the intensive care unit after cardiac valve replacement between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were allocated to 2 groups based on the postoperative pain treatment they received: treatment group (administered butorphanol combined with sufentanil), and control group (administered conventional sufentanil analgesia). After propensity score matching for sex, age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, type of valve surgery, and operation duration, 76 patients were included in the study, and analgesic efficacy, hemodynamic changes, and adverse drug reactions were compared between the 2 groups. After propensity score matching, the baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the groups. The histogram and jitter plot of the propensity score distribution indicated good matching. No significant differences were observed in the duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of stay in the intensive care unit, duration of total hospital stay, and hospitalization expenditure between the groups (P > .05). The treatment group had notably higher minimum systolic blood pressure (P = .024) and lower heart rate variability (P = .049) than those in the control group. Moreover, the treatment group exhibited better analgesic efficacy and had lower critical-care pain observation tool scores and consumption of sufentanil 24 hours after surgery than the control group (P < .05). The incidence of vomiting was notably lower in the treatment than in the control group (P = .028). Butorphanol combined with sufentanil can be used in patients after heart valve replacement. This combined treatment has good analgesic efficacy and is associated with reduced adverse drug reactions and, potentially, steady hemodynamics.

985: EVALUATION OF DISCHARGE OPIOID PRESCRIBING IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED ICU PATIENTS

Introduction: Opioids are a core component in the multimodal approach to patient analgesia during invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). However, the implications of opioid use during IMV on prescribing opioids on hospital discharge is unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients requiring IMV within a tertiary academic medical intensive care unit (MICU) to characterize hospital discharge opioid prescribing patterns between opioid-naive and opioid-users. We included patients that received at least 1 dose of opioid within the first 12-hours of IMV and required IMV for at least 24 hours. Patients were characterized as opioid-naïve or opioid-users based upon opioids prescribed prior to MICU admission. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients prescribed opioids at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included the morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day during IMV, delirium-free days, correlation of pain (critical care pain observation tool (CPOT)) scores and MME during IMV, duration of IMV, and length of hospital stay (LOS). Results: One hundred sixty-seven consecutive patients presenting to the MICU were included. Of these, 128 (76.6%) were opioid-naïve and 39 (23.4%) were opioid-users. Median age was 59 years and 61.7% were Caucasian. More opioid-users had cancer compared to opioid-naïve (35.9% vs 14.8%, p< 0.001). Thirty-two (25%) opioid-naïve and 27 (69.2%) opioid-users were prescribed opioids on discharge. The mean MME prescribed at discharge was higher in opioid-users, compared to opioid-naive (77.2 vs 16.4, p< 0.001). The median quantity of opioids prescribed during IMV did not differ between groups (465 MME in opioid-naïve vs. 467 MME in opioid-user, p=0.49). Median daily CPOT scores did not correlate with MME or dose titrations. There was no difference in duration of IMV or LOS between groups. Opioid-naïve patients had less delirium-free days, compared to opioid-users (0.68 vs. 1.13, p=0.003). Conclusions: Our study found 25% of opioid-naïve patients undergoing IMV were discharged from the hospital on opioids and the daily CPOT score did not correlate with MME and dose titration. It is unclear why 25% of opioid-naïve patients who underwent IMV in a MICU required opioids at hospital discharge and is an area that warrants further investigation.

Study protocol: development and pilot testing of the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool for families (CPOT-Fam)

BackgroundPatients in the intensive care unit (ICU) often have limited ability to communicate making it more difficult to identify and effectively treat their pain. Family caregivers or close friends of critically ill patients may be able to identify signs of pain before the clinical care team and could potentially assist in routine pain assessments. This study will adapt the Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) for use by family members to create the CPOT-Fam and compare family CPOT-Fam assessments with nurse-provided CPOT assessments for a given patient.MethodsThis study will be executed in two phases:1) Development of the CPOT-Fam — A working group of patient partners, ICU clinicians, and researchers will adapt the CPOT for use by family caregivers (creating the CPOT-Fam) and produce an accompanying educational module to deliver information on pain and how to use the tool. The CPOT-Fam will undergo preclinical testing with participants (i.e., members of the public and family caregivers of critically ill adults), who will complete the educational module and provide CPOT-Fam scores on sample cases. Feedback on the CPOT-Fam will be collected.2) Pilot testing the CPOT — Fam family caregivers of critically ill adults will complete the educational module and provide information on the following: (1) demographics, (2) anxiety, (3) caregiving self-efficacy, and (4) satisfaction with care in the ICU. Family caregivers will then provide a proxy assessment of their critically ill loved one’s pain through the CPOT-Fam and also provide a subjective (i.e., questionnaire-based including open-ended responses) account of their loved one’s pain status. A comparison (i.e., agreement) will be made between family caregiver provided CPOT-Fam scores and ICU nurse-provided CPOT scores (collected from the provincial health information system), calculated independently and blinded to one another. Feasibility and acceptability of the CPOT-Fam will be determined.DiscussionThe results of this work will produce a family caregiver CPOT (i.e., CPOT-Fam), determine feasibility and acceptability of the CPOT-Fam, and compare pain assessments conducted by family caregivers and ICU nurses. The results will inform whether a larger study to determine a role for family caregivers in ICU pain assessment using the CPOT-Fam is warranted.

Validation Testing of the European Portuguese Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool.

Aim. The study aim was to validate the Portuguese version of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) in the critically ill adult population of Portugal. Methods. A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted to evaluate the CPOT in mechanically ventilated patients who were admitted to an intensive care unit. A consecutive sample of 110 patients was observed at rest pre-procedure, during a nociceptive procedure (NP) which includes turning/positioning and endotracheal or tracheal suctioning and 20 min post-procedure. Two raters participated in the data collection. The discriminative validity, criterion validity, convergent validity and inter-rater reliability of the CPOT were examined. Results. The inter-rater reliability was excellent (0.93 ≤ α ≤ 1.00) at rest and fair to moderate (0.39 ≤ α ≤ 0.60) during the NP. The CPOT could discriminate between conditions with higher scores during the NP when compared to CPOT scores at rest (p < 0.001). The optimal CPOT cut-off score was >2, with a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 80%, and self-reported pain was the gold standard criterion. Significant correlations (<0.40) were found between CPOT scores, the heart rate and the respiratory rate during the nociceptive procedure. Conclusions. The CPOT appears to be a valid alternative for both ventilated and non-ventilated patients who are unable to communicate.

Pain management of nalbuphine and sufentanil in patients admitted intensive care unit of different ages

BackgroundPain relief for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) can improve treatment outcomes and reduce the burden on doctors and nurses. This study aims to report the clinical analgesic and sedative effects of nalbuphine and sufentanil on ICU patients.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 87 critically ill patients who received nalbuphine or sufentanil infusion in the ICU, including demographic data, diagnosis, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). The primary outcomes of this study were CPOT and RASS scores. The secondary outcomes were hemodynamic changes, including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and SpO2. The adverse events recorded during pain management, such as hypoxemia, respiration depression and bradycardia, were also collected and analyzed.ResultsNone of the patients in both groups experienced episode of hypoxemia, respiration depression and bradycardia. However, age-stratified analyses showed that nalbuphine has a better analgesic effect than sufentanil for patients aged ≤ 60 (P < 0.05). In contrast, sufentanil showed a better analgesic effect than nalbuphine for patients aged > 60 ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, nalbuphine has a significantly better sedative effect than sufentanil for patients aged ≤ 60 (P < 0.05).ConclusionICU patients of different age groups may be suitable for different analgesics. For patients under the age of 60, nalbuphine has better analgesia and sedation than sufentanil, and does not cause respiratory depression and drastic hemodynamic changes.

The effects of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool on pain assessment/management nursing practices in an intensive care unit with brain-injured critically ill patients

Accurate pain assessment and management in critically ill patients withcognitive alterations who are unable to communicate constitute a major challenge for themedical and nursing staff of Intensive Care Units (ICUs). This study want assess the impact of Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CCPOT) scale in ICU practice and evaluate the effects on pain assessment and management in brain-injured critically ill adult patients. This before-and-after study was carried out in an Italian ICU, where data were collected before (T0) and after (T1) implementation of the CCPOT in brain-injured critically ill adults. The study population consisted of 81 patients (35 before and 46 after intervention). The use of propofol fell significantly and at the same time the use of morphine increase significantly (morphine: t(80) = 1.51, p =.02) after intervention.Analysis of the data with respect to pain relief and prevention during some nursing care activities revealed a significant increase in the use of fentanyl citrate and paracetamol. Pain management was in line with the protocol, which envisaged administration of pain medications to patients with CCPOT scores less than 3 in 76.8% of cases. The present findings strongly support the value of the CCPOT scale in managing ICU patient pain in conjunction with medical and nursing staff training. However, further studies of larger patient samples should be performed.

Penile calciphylaxis in patients with end-stage kidney disease undergoing dialysis: Invasive treatment and pain management.

Penile calciphylaxis is rarely reported in dialysis patients. We experienced cases of dialysis patients who had penile calciphylaxis between 2003 and 2020. Seven patients undergoing dialysis were treated for penile necrosis (hemodialysis [HD], 5; peritoneal dialysis [PD], 1; hybrid therapy comprising PD and HD, 1). Their mean age was 62.8 years and their mean dialysis vintage 116.1months. All had severe penile pain and were clinically diagnosed with calciphylaxis. Four received partial penectomy and three received percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) due to rapid aggravation. The number of analgesia types and the critical-care pain observation tool score significantly decreased after invasive treatment (both, p=0.008). The 90-day and 1-year survival rates after onset were 85.7% and 57.1%, respectively. In dialysis patients, penile calciphylaxis has poor prognosis; however, invasive treatments for pain management are effective. PTA may be beneficial in dialysis patients in poor condition.

Exploration of a Multi-Parameter Technology for Pain Assessment in Postoperative Patients After Cardiac Surgery in the Intensive Care Unit: The Nociception Level Index (NOL)TM.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to explore the use of a multi-parameter technology, the Nociception Level (NOL) index (Medasense Biometrics Ltd, Ramat Gan, Israel), for pain assessment in postoperative awake patients after cardiac surgery during non-nociceptive and nociceptive procedures in the intensive care unit (ICU).Materials and MethodsA prospective cohort repeated-measures design was used. Patients were included if they were in the ICU after undergoing cardiac surgery and if they could self-report their pain. A non-invasive probe was placed on the patient’s finger for the continuous monitoring of the NOL index. Patients’ self-reports of pain and anxiety (0–10 Numeric Rating Scale or NRS), and behavioral scores with the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) were obtained before and during a non-nociceptive procedure (ie, non-invasive blood pressure [NIBP] using cuff inflation), and before, during and after a nociceptive procedure (ie, chest tube removal [CTR]) for a total of five time points. Non-parametric tests were used to compare scores at different time points, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed.ResultsFifty-four patients were included in the analysis. The NOL index, pain and anxiety scores were significantly higher during CTR compared to rest and NIBP (p < 0.001). During CTR, the NOL was associated with self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness but not with anxiety and CPOT scores. The NOL showed a modest performance in detecting pain (NRS ≥1 and ≥5) in this sample with sensitivity and specificity ranging from 61% to 85%.ConclusionThe NOL index was able to discriminate between a non-nociceptive and a nociceptive procedure and was associated with self-reported pain. Further validation testing of the NOL is necessary in a heterogeneous sample of ICU patients.

Verification of the critical-care pain observation tool in conscious patients with hemiparesis or cognitive dysfunction.

Altered cognition or hemiparesis can occur in neurocritical but conscious patients, and recognizing pain is challenging. This study aimed to test the reliability and validity of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) in this specific group. This prospective study included ventilated, conscious patients who had certain neurologic deficits. CPOT scores were assessed before and after nociceptive (turning the patient) and non-nociceptive (measuring body temperature) procedures. The patients' self-reported pain was also recorded using a numerical rating scale (NRS). Sixty-three patients were enrolled. The intraclass correlation coefficient was r = 0.975-1.000 (p < 0.001) for turning the patient. Discriminant validation indicated that CPOT scores were significantly higher after turning the patient compared with measuring body temperature (p = 0.025). CPOT scores were positively correlated with NRS when turning the patient (r = 0.724, p < 0.001). After turning, the mean increase in CPOT score was lower in the patients with hemiparesis than in those without hemiparesis (p = 0.079), however it was significantly higher in the patients with cognitive dysfunction compared to those without cognitive dysfunction (p = 0.022). The CPOT is an appropriate instrument to assess pain in conscious patients, particularly those with cognitive dysfunction. The influence of hemiparesis on the CPOT is noteworthy.

Effect of acupuncture on analgesia and sedation in elderly patients with severe pneumonia during invasive mechanical ventilation

To observe the analgesic and sedative effects of acupuncture in elderly patients with severe pneumonia during invasive mechanical ventilation. A total of 188 elderly patients with severe pneumonia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 94 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with routine nursing and treatment of severe pneumonia such as invasive mechanical ventilation, analgesia and sedation. Based on these, the observation group was treated with acupuncture at Neiguan (PC 6), Hegu (LI 4), Yintang (GV 29) and Baihui (GV 20), twice a day until the mechanical ventilation was offline. The critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) score and Richmond agitation-sedation score (RASS) were observed before treatment and 0.5 h after analgesia and sedation; the average time of reaching the standard, the reaching standard rate of shallow sedation and analgesia within 0.5 h and 72 h as well as the dosage of analgesic and sedative drugs and compilations were compared between the two groups. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) were observed before treatment and 0.5 h, 1 h and 2 h after analgesia and sedation. The levels of partial pressure of blood oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and lactic acid (Lac) were observed before treatment and 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, 120 h and 144 h after analgesia and sedation. The white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatinine (Cr) were observed before treatment and 72 h after analgesia and sedation. The tracheal intubation time and ICU hospitalization time were compared between two groups. At the time point of 0.5 h after treatment, the CPOT and RASS scores in the two groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05); the average time of reaching the standard in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group (P<0.01); the 30 min reaching standard rates of CPOT and RASS scores as well as the rate of reaching the shallow sedation and analgesia within 72 h in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The dosage and duration of dexmedetomidine, propofol and butorphanol in the observation group were less than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the occurrence times of hypotension, respiratory depression, bradycardia, constipation as well as average tracheal intubation time and average ICU hospitalization time in the observation group were less than those in the control group (P<0.05). After 0.5 h, 1 h and 2 h of treatment, the HR and RR were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), MAP and SpO2 were higher than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05); the MAP 0.5 h after treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the HR after 1 h and 2 h of treatment in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the levels of PaCO2 and Lac were reduced and the levels of PaO2 were increased 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h, 120 h and 144 h after treatment in both groups (P<0.05); compared before treatment, the WBC, NEUT%, hs-CPR, ALT and Cr were reduced 72 h after treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the hs-CRP in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Acupuncture has analgesic and sedative effect in elderly patients with severe pneumonia during invasive mechanical ventilation, which could reduce the dosage of sedative and analgesic drugs and the occurrence of complications, improve blood oxygen, and has good safety.

Application of Sedation and Analgesia Nursing in Endovascular Treatment of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: For acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with anterior circulation occlusion, local anesthesia can significantly shorten the time from endovascular treatment to recanalization. Objective: To investigate the application of individualized sedation and analgesia nursing in endovascular treatment (EVT) of patients with anterior-circulation AIS. Methods: From October 2019 to October 2020, all of 78 patients who underwent EVT with anterior-circulation AIS were retrospectively collected. Before interventional preoperative, doctors and nurses cooperated to comprehensively evaluate the patient's condition. Based on fully considering patients' respiratory function, hemodynamic status and pathological and physiological status, individualized sedation and analgesia targets were formulated. The nurses dynamically assessed the patients' sedation score with Sedation-Agitation Scale (SAS) and analgesia score with Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT), monitored the depth of sedation and analgesia in real time, adjusted the drug dose, and maintained the ideal sedation and analgesia state of the patients. During the operation, we actively prevented and dealt with the occurrence of adverse reactions such as hypersedation and respiratory depression, and placed oropharyngeal airway to improve ventilation for patients with retroglossal drop and respiratory depression. Results: The SAS score of 78 patients was 5.8±3.7 while entering the operating room. Among them, 71 patients were treated with the midazolam with an average dose of 5.3±2.7 mg, as well as the SAS score of 3.3±1.8 during the operation, and the other 7 patients were cooperated with consciously. Sixty patients were sedated with fentanyl solution at an average dose of 0.38±0.22mg, and the CPOT score was 4.8±3.2 during the operation. The other 18 patients did not use analgesics. The time of Door to Recanalization (D2R) in 78 patients was 50.8±28.6 min. During the operation, there was good cooperation between doctors and nurses, no case of intracranial hemorrhage and no case died. Conclusion: In the EVT of the anterior-circulation AIS patients, medical cooperation developed individualized sedation and analgesia, and the nurses dynamically evaluated the sedation and analgesia score of the patients. By monitoring the depth of sedation and analgesia in real time to adjust the dosage of drugs, patients can maintain in a moderate sedation and analgesia state to ensure the safety of EVT performed.

Analgesic Efficacy of Regional Anesthesia of the Hemithorax in Patients Undergoing Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement

Patients undergoing subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) placement usually experience substantial perioperative pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of transversus thoracic muscle plane block combined with serratus anterior plane block in patients undergoing S-ICD placement. Double-blind, randomized controlled study. First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Patients aged 18-to-80 years who underwent new S-ICD placement. A group of 80 patients randomly were allocated to either the regional group (R group) or local group (L group). The primary endpoint was pain during S-ICD placement. The secondary outcome measures included pain intensity at rest and after movement one, three, six, 12, 24, and 48 hours after surgery; the dose of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil during surgery; 24-hour ketorolac administration; postoperative sufentanil dosage; the total duration of hospitalization; intraoperative sedation; and the incidence of hypoxemia. Mean Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool scores were significantly higher during pocket creation, lead tunneling A, and lead tunneling B in the L group compared with the R group. The R group required significantly less intraoperative dexmedetomidine, intraoperative remifentanil, postoperative sufentanil, and ketorolac consumption. Compared with the R group, the L group had higher Numerical Rating Scale pain scores at 24 hours after surgery both at rest and after movement. The intraoperative Ramsay score and the incidence of hypoxemia were significantly higher in the L group compared with the R group. Ultrasound-guided transversus thoracic muscle plane block and serratus anterior plane block resulted in lower intraoperative Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool scores and the need for less adjunctive pain medication and sedation compared with local anesthesia in patients undergoing S-ICD placement.

The professional skills of the nurse involved in the care of individuals with sexually transmitted infections

Accurate pain assessment and management in critically ill patients withcognitive alterations who are unable to communicate constitute a major challenge for themedical and nursing staff of Intensive Care Units (ICUs). This study want assess the impact of Critical Care Pain Observation Tool (CCPOT) scale in ICU practice and evaluate the effects on pain assessment and management in brain-injured critically ill adult patients. This before-and-after study was carried out in an Italian ICU, where data were collected before (T0) and after (T1) implementation of the CCPOT in brain-injured critically ill adults. The study population consisted of 81 patients (35 before and 46 after intervention). The use of propofol fell significantly (propofol: t(80) = 1.83) and at the same time the use of morphine increase significantly (morphine: t(80) = 1.51) after intervention.Analysis of the data with respect to pain relief and prevention during some nursing care activities revealed a significant increase in the use of fentanyl citrate (x2(1)= 4.04, p =.04) and paracetamol (x2(1)= 5.30, p =.02). Pain management was in line with the protocol, which envisaged administration of pain medications to patients with CCPOT scores > 3 in 76.8% of cases. The present findings strongly support the value of the CCPOT scale in managing ICU patient pain in conjunction with medical and nursing staff training. However, further studies of larger patient samples should be performed.

Optimal pain control goal for preventing delirium in critical patients

To study the optimal pain control goal for preventing delirium in critical patients. A prospective cohort study were conducted. The patients admitted to general departments and transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to critical illness in the First People's Hospital of Changde from January 2017 to November 2019 were enrolled. The General data of the patients were collected within 48 hours after admission. All patients admitted to the ICU were evaluated for pain level using the critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) every 8 hours by nurses, and confusion assessment method of ICU (CAM-ICU) was used to screen delirium patient every 8 hours by the leader of nursing team without knowing the pain level of the patients, until the subjects were transferred out of ICU. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, the area under ROC curve (AUC) and the optimal threshold were analyzed with delirium as the reference standard; according to the optimal threshold, multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between CPOT score and delirium. During the study period, 575 patients were admitted to the participating departments and passed the preliminary screening according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. During the study period, 34 patients were excluded due to incomplete data. Finally, a total of 541 patients were enrolled in the analysis, including 149 patients in delirium group and 392 patients in non-delirium group. There was no significant difference in gender, age, source of patients, education level, smoking history, drinking history, family mental history, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score or other general information between the two groups. There were 10.1% (15/149) of patients in the delirium group used opioids, which was significantly higher than 4.3% (17/392) in the non-delirium group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The CPOT score in the delirium group was significantly higher than that in the non-delirium group (4.24±1.78 vs. 2.75±1.95, P < 0.01). The patients were subdivided into young group (< 40 years old), middle-aged group (40-65 years old) and old group (> 65 years old) according to age. The analysis results were consistent with the overall analysis results. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of CPOT score predicting delirium was 0.719; when the best threshold value of CPOT score was 2.5, the sensitivity was 91.3%, the specificity was 49.0%, the positive predictive value was 40.5% and the negative predictive value was 93.7%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of delirium in ICU patients with CPOT score ≥ 3 was 10.043 times higher than that in patients with CPOT score < 3 [odds ratio (OR) = 10.043, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 5.498-18.345, P < 0.001]. When the gender, age, APACHE II score, smoking history, drinking history, opioids usage were adjusted, the risk of delirium in patients with CPOT score ≥ 3 was 10.719 times higher than that in patients with CPOT score < 3 (OR = 10.719, 95%CI was 5.689-20.196, P < 0.001). The best pain control goal for preventing the occurrence of delirium in ICU patients is a CPOT score of 3 or less.

Authorized Agent-Controlled Analgesia for Pain Management in Critically Ill Adult Patients.

Patient-controlled analgesia is commonly used for adult patients requiring parenteral opioid analgesia in the postoperative setting. However, many patients are unable to use patient-controlled analgesia because of physical or cognitive limitations. Authorized agent-controlled analgesia, in which a nurse or family member activates the patient-controlled analgesia device, has been studied in the pediatric population but has received little attention in adults. To evaluate the efficacy of authorized agent-controlled analgesia in critically ill adult patients. A retrospective pilot study was conducted involving 46 patients who were placed on an authorized agent-controlled analgesia protocol in a mixed medical/surgical adult intensive care unit. Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool scores were abstracted for the 24 hours before and after initiation of authorized agent-controlled analgesia. Authorized agent-controlled analgesia was administered by nurses only. The mean (SD) change in pain score was -3.4 (2.0) (95% CI, -4.0 to -2.7), representing a 69% decrease in the mean (SD) pain score from before to after initiation of authorized agent-controlled analgesia (4.8 [1.8] vs 1.5 [1.6]; P < .001). When the results were controlled for time, sedative administration, and opioid medication administration, the effect of authorized agent-controlled analgesia initiation on pain scores remained significant (P < .001). Use of authorized agent-controlled analgesia is associated with a reduction in pain in critically ill patients. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these findings.