Pain Intensity Numerical Scale Research Articles

Comparing the Use of Hydrogel Dressings to Lanolin Ointment With Lactating Mothers

To evaluate the use of hydrogel dressings for the prevention and treatment of nipple soreness in lactating women as compared with the common intervention of lanolin ointment. The hypothesis was as follows: Participants using hydrogel dressings as a preventive measure for nipple soreness will experience greater pain relief and a lower rate of nipple wounds as compared with the control group. The secondary hypothesis was that the reduction of nipple soreness in the treatment group would produce a longer duration of breastfeeding as compared with the control group. A multicentered, prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating a sample of 106 lactating mothers. Study sites were the University of Alabama Medical Center at Birmingham (an inner-city teaching hospital) and Northeast Health System (a community hospital in Beverly, Massachusetts). Participants were older than age 18, fluent in English, and had an operational telephone in the residence. Other inclusion criteria were singleton, vaginal deliveries; no prior breastfeeding experience; and written informed consent. Participants were randomized to either the lanolin ointment or the hydrogel dressings group and received instructions specific to their assignment. All participants received breastfeeding education provided by a board-certified lactation consultant. During the initial 12 study days, participants identified pain intensity using a numeric pain intensity scale and verbal descriptor scale. Subjective data were collected via self-reported skin assessments of the bilateral breasts, nipples, and areolae. Breastfeeding duration was established by a follow-up telephone call at 2 months. The hydrogel dressings group had significantly greater reduction in pain score mean values at baseline, on study Day 10, and on study Day 12 in comparison to the control group. Participants using the hydrogel dressings discontinued treatment sooner than participants in the lanolin ointment group. The lanolin ointment group had eight breast infections, whereas the hydrogel dressings group had none. Hydrogel dressings are a safe, available treatment that provided more effective pain management for nipple soreness than the common intervention of lanolin ointment.

Severe Pain Confounds Neuropsychological Test Performance

There is little information on the effect of pain on neuropsychological test performance. We have undertaken this study to explore which tests are affected by pain, the magnitude of these changes, and other confounders of neuropsychological performance in a population of patients having spine surgery. Twenty-four elderly English speaking Caucasian patients (age > 60 years) were enrolled pre-operatively in this Institutional Review Board approved study. Pain scores using an 11-point Numeric Pain Intensity scale and performance on a neuropsychological battery (Controlled Oral Word Association, Rey Complex Figure, Trails A and B) were assessed at two times, before and one day after surgery. Scores were calculated using the standard algorithms and change scores were calculated by subtracting the baseline from follow-up scores. After surgery, performance on the Rey Complex Figure (r = –0.577, p = 0.004) and Trails Part A (r = 0.527, p = 0.01) declined with increasing post-operative pain scores. Women reported higher pain scores post-operatively than men (p = 0.046), and performed worse than men for change in performance on Trails Part A (p = 0.027). These data suggest that pain can influence performance on certain cognitive tests, and that some gender differences in these effects may occur. Interpretation of performance measures should take into account possible effects of pain, although our understanding of pain effects and ability to predict them in individual people, currently are quite limited.

Topical ketamine gel: possible role in treating neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain is often resistant to opioids, so other medication classes, such as tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and local anesthetics, are often used. Central sensitization, or pain 'wind-up', may perpetuate chronic neuropathic pain even when ongoing peripheral sensory input is absent. Wind-up is thought to cause allodynia, hyperalgesia, and hyperpathia. Receptors such as NMDA, AMPA, and M-glu have recently been identified for their role in central sensitization or pain 'wind-up'. Ketamine has been proposed recently for neuropathic pain secondary to its NMDA receptor activity. The current application as a topical gel stems from the theory that ketamine has peripheral action at both opioid and Na+-K+ channels. This case study involved 5 patients from 25 to 70 years old (3 RSD, 1 lumbar radiculopathy, 1 post-herpetic neuralgia). Dose used was determined by site and surface area of involvement and ranged from 0.093 mg/kg to 9.33 mg/kg. All five patients reported significant pain relief at initial application and wished to continue treatment. The average numerical analogue scale (NAS) score preapplication was 8.8. The average 15 minutes post application NAS was 1.6. Patients reported alterations in temperature sensation, feelings of relaxation and decreased tension in the area of application, and pain relief. Reduction in numerical pain scores postapplication of ketamine gel ranged from 53-100% using a 1-10 numerical pain intensity scale. No significant side effects were reported. Ketamine Gel may provide clinicians with a new option in the battle against chronic neuropathic pain. Until further information is available and larger trials can be conducted, we can only recommend this type of therapy for refractory cases in which all primary and secondary options have been exhausted.

Safety and efficacy of diclofenac ophthalmic solution in the treatment of corneal abrasions

Study objective: To determine whether the use of diclofenac ophthalmic solution is a safe and effective analgesic in the treatment of traumatic corneal abrasions in the emergency department. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Consenting consecutive patients with corneal abrasions who presented to a community-based ED from August through February 1998 were randomly assigned to receive either diclofenac or control vehicle drops. Pain relief was measured using a visual Numeric Pain Intensity Scale (NPIS) before and after treatment. Exclusion criteria were as follows: age younger than 18 years, pregnancy, history of glaucoma, ocular infection, recent eye surgery, other signs of ocular trauma, narcotics within 6 hours, minimal pain (NPIS score <3), and any allergy to diclofenac or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients were discharged with study drug or control vehicle solution, a topical antibiotic, oxycodone-acetaminophen as a rescue analgesic, and a pain diary. The outcome measurements were improvement in NPIS score 2 hours after treatment, use of oxycodone-acetaminophen, and occurrence of any adverse effects. Results: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the study; 25 received diclofenac and 24 received control vehicle drops. Both groups were similar in gender, age, pretreatment pain duration, NPIS score, and analgesic use. There was significantly greater improvement in the 2-hour NPIS score in the diclofenac group (3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3 to 4) compared with the control group (1.0; 95% CI 0.1 to 2.0). The difference between the 2 groups was 2.1±1.3 (95% CI 0.8 to 3.4). There was a trend toward fewer patients taking rescue oxycodone-acetaminophen in the diclofenac group (20%; 95% CI 4% to 36%) versus the control group (42%; 95% CI 22% to 62%). Other than transient mild stinging, there were no complications associated with diclofenac use. Conclusion: Diclofenac ophthalmic solution appears to be a safe and effective analgesic in the treatment of traumatic corneal abrasions in the ED. [Szucs PA, Nashed AH, Allegra JR, Eskin B. Safety and efficacy of diclofenac ophthalmic solution in the treatment of corneal abrasions. Ann Emerg Med. February 2000;35:131-137.]

The effect of music in the postanesthesia care unit on pain levels in women who have had abdominal hysterectomies

Management of pain in the immediate postoperative period is a major concern of postanesthesia nurses. Music is a nursing intervention with the potential to decrease patient perception of pain in the PACU. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the use of music on the level of patient pain in the immediate postoperative period. A quasi-experimental study design was used with three study groups. All patients scheduled for elective abdominal hysterectomies using a general anesthesia technique were eligible for participation in the study. The setting is a PACU in a community hospital in a suburban area. Subjects were asked to rate their pain level every 15 minutes while in the PACU using two valid and reliable measures, a verbal pain rating scale and a graphic numeric pain intensity scale. Repeated measures of analysis of variance showed no differences in level of pain between groups or over time.

Some Strange Case Histories in an Egyptian Veterinary Practice; Illustrating the Need for Providing Adequate Clinical Services to the Animal-owning Public

Study objective: To determine whether the use of diclofenac ophthalmic solution is a safe and effective analgesic in the treatment of traumatic corneal abrasions in the emergency department. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Consenting consecutive patients with corneal abrasions who presented to a community-based ED from August through February 1998 were randomly assigned to receive either diclofenac or control vehicle drops. Pain relief was measured using a visual Numeric Pain Intensity Scale (NPIS) before and after treatment. Exclusion criteria were as follows: age younger than 18 years, pregnancy, history of glaucoma, ocular infection, recent eye surgery, other signs of ocular trauma, narcotics within 6 hours, minimal pain (NPIS score <3), and any allergy to diclofenac or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients were discharged with study drug or control vehicle solution, a topical antibiotic, oxycodone-acetaminophen as a rescue analgesic, and a pain diary. The outcome measurements were improvement in NPIS score 2 hours after treatment, use of oxycodone-acetaminophen, and occurrence of any adverse effects. Results: Forty-nine patients were enrolled in the study; 25 received diclofenac and 24 received control vehicle drops. Both groups were similar in gender, age, pretreatment pain duration, NPIS score, and analgesic use. There was significantly greater improvement in the 2-hour NPIS score in the diclofenac group (3.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3 to 4) compared with the control group (1.0; 95% CI 0.1 to 2.0). The difference between the 2 groups was 2.1±1.3 (95% CI 0.8 to 3.4). There was a trend toward fewer patients taking rescue oxycodone-acetaminophen in the diclofenac group (20%; 95% CI 4% to 36%) versus the control group (42%; 95% CI 22% to 62%). Other than transient mild stinging, there were no complications associated with diclofenac use. Conclusion: Diclofenac ophthalmic solution appears to be a safe and effective analgesic in the treatment of traumatic corneal abrasions in the ED. [Szucs PA, Nashed AH, Allegra JR, Eskin B. Safety and efficacy of diclofenac ophthalmic solution in the treatment of corneal abrasions. Ann Emerg Med. February 2000;35:131-137.]