Pain Severity Scores Research Articles

Thalamic neurometabolite alterations in patients with knee osteoarthritis before and after total knee replacement.

The weak association between disability levels and "peripheral" (ie, knee) findings suggests that central nervous system alterations may contribute to the pathophysiology of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Here, we evaluated brain metabolite alterations in patients with KOA, before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), using 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Thirty-four presurgical patients with KOA and 13 healthy controls were scanned using a PRESS sequence (TE = 30 ms, TR = 1.7 seconds, voxel size = 15 × 15 × 15 mm). In addition, 13 patients were rescanned 4.1 ± 1.6 (mean ± SD) weeks post-TKA. When using creatine (Cr)-normalized levels, presurgical KOA patients demonstrated lower N-acetylaspartate (NAA) (P < 0.001), higher myoinositol (mIns) (P < 0.001), and lower Choline (Cho) (P < 0.05) than healthy controls. The mIns levels were positively correlated with pain severity scores (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). These effects reached statistical significance also using water-referenced concentrations, except for the Cho group differences (P ≥ 0.067). Post-TKA patients demonstrated an increase in NAA (P < 0.01), which returned to the levels of healthy controls (P > 0.05), irrespective of metric. In addition, patients demonstrated postsurgical increases in Cr-normalized (P < 0.001), but not water-referenced mIns, which were proportional to the NAA/Cr increases (r = 0.61, P < 0.05). Because mIns is commonly regarded as a glial marker, our results are suggestive of a possible dual role for neuroinflammation in KOA pain and post-TKA recovery. Moreover, the apparent postsurgical normalization of NAA, a putative marker of neuronal integrity, might implicate mitochondrial dysfunction, rather than neurodegenerative processes, as a plausible pathophysiological mechanism in KOA. More broadly, our results add to a growing body of literature suggesting that some pain-related brain alterations can be reversed after peripheral surgical treatment.

Perineural Liposomal Bupivacaine Is Not Superior to Nonliposomal Bupivacaine for Peripheral Nerve Block Analgesia.

Liposomal bupivacaine is purported to extend analgesia of peripheral nerve blocks when administered perineurally. However, evidence of the clinical effectiveness of perineural liposomal bupivacaine is mixed. This meta-analysis seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of perineural liposomal bupivacaine in improving peripheral nerve block analgesia as compared with nonliposomal local anesthetics. The authors identified randomized trials evaluating the effectiveness of peripheral nerve block analgesic that compared liposomal bupivacaine with nonliposomal local anesthetics. The primary outcome was the difference in area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of the pooled 24- to 72-h rest pain severity scores. Secondary outcomes included postoperative analgesic consumption, time to first analgesic request, incidence of opioid-related side effects, patient satisfaction, length of hospital stay, liposomal bupivacaine side effects, and functional recovery. AUC pain scores were interpreted in light of a minimal clinically important difference of 2.0 cm · h. Nine trials (619 patients) were analyzed. When all trials were pooled, AUC pain scores ± SD at 24 to 72 h were 7.6 ± 4.9 cm · h and 6.6 ± 4.6 cm · h for nonliposomal and liposomal bupivacaine, respectively. As such, perineural liposomal bupivacaine provided a clinically unimportant benefit by improving the AUC (95% CI) of 24- to 72-h pain scores by 1.0 cm · h (0.5 to 1.6; P = 0.003) compared with nonliposomal bupivacaine. Excluding an industry-sponsored trial rendered the difference between the groups nonsignificant (0.7 cm · h [-0.1 to 1.5]; P = 0.100). Secondary outcome analysis did not uncover any additional benefits to liposomal bupivacaine in pain severity at individual timepoints up to 72 h, analgesic consumption, time to first analgesic request, opioid-related side effects, patient satisfaction, length of hospital stay, and functional recovery. No liposomal bupivacaine side effects were reported. Perineural liposomal bupivacaine provided a statistically significant but clinically unimportant improvement in the AUC of postoperative pain scores compared with plain local anesthetic. Furthermore, this benefit was rendered nonsignificant after excluding an industry-sponsored trial, and liposomal bupivacaine was found to be not different from plain local anesthetics for postoperative pain and all other analgesic and functional outcomes. High-quality evidence does not support the use of perineural liposomal bupivacaine over nonliposomal bupivacaine for peripheral nerve blocks.

The Prevalence and Severity of Chronic Pain in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background:Chronic pain is a common and distressing symptom reported by patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Clinical practice and research in this area do not appear to be advancing sufficiently to address the issue of chronic pain management in patients with CKD.Objectives:To determine the prevalence and severity of chronic pain in patients with CKD.Design:Systematic review and meta-analysis.Setting:Interventional and observational studies presenting data from 2000 or later. Exclusion criteria included acute kidney injury or studies that limited the study population to a specific cause, symptom, and/or comorbidity.Patients:Adults with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) category 3 to 5 CKD including dialysis patients and those managed conservatively without dialysis.Measurements:Data extracted included title, first author, design, country, year of data collection, publication year, mean age, stage of CKD, prevalence of pain, and severity of pain.Methods:Databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, last searched on February 3, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened all titles and abstracts, assessed potentially relevant articles, and extracted data. We estimated pooled prevalence of overall chronic pain, musculoskeletal pain, bone/joint pain, muscle pain/soreness, and neuropathic pain and the I2 statistic was computed to measure heterogeneity. Random effects models were used to account for variations in study design and sample populations and a double arcsine transformation was used in the model calculations to account for potential overweighting of studies reporting either very high or very low prevalence measurements. Pain severity scores were calibrated to a score out of 10, to compare across studies. Weighted mean severity scores and 95% confidence intervals were reported.Results:Sixty-eight studies representing 16 558 patients from 26 countries were included. The mean prevalence of chronic pain in hemodialysis patients was 60.5%, and the mean prevalence of moderate or severe pain was 43.6%. Although limited, pain prevalence data for peritoneal dialysis patients (35.9%), those managed conservatively without dialysis (59.8%), those following withdrawal of dialysis (39.2%), and patients with earlier GFR category of CKD (61.2%) suggest similarly high prevalence rates.Limitations:Studies lacked a consistent approach to defining the chronicity and nature of pain. There was also variability in the measures used to determine pain severity, limiting the ability to compare findings across populations. Furthermore, most studies reported mean severity scores for the entire cohort, rather than reporting the prevalence (numerator and denominator) for each of the pain severity categories (mild, moderate, and severe). Mean severity scores for a population do not allow for “responder analyses” nor allow for an understanding of clinically relevant pain.Conclusions:Chronic pain is common and often severe across diverse CKD populations providing a strong imperative to establish chronic pain management as a clinical and research priority. Future research needs to move toward a better understanding of the determinants of chronic pain and to evaluating the effectiveness of pain management strategies with particular attention to the patient outcomes such as overall symptom burden, physical function, and quality of life. The current variability in the outcome measures used to assess pain limits the ability to pool data or make comparisons among studies, which will hinder future evaluations of the efficacy and effectiveness of treatments. Recommendations for measuring and reporting pain in future CKD studies are provided.Trial registration:PROSPERO Registration number CRD42020166965

Effects of Hand Strengthening Exercise on Various Hand Functions in Female Patients of Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case-control Study

Introduction: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease which hampers the physical activity of an individual due to presence of pain, stiffness and fatigue. As it is progressive in nature, regular exercise of sufficient intensity is needed to maintain muscle strength. Aim: To find the effectiveness of hand strengthening exercise programme with therapeutic putty on grip strength and functional movement in chronic rheumatoid hand. Materials and Methods: A total of 206 female patients of chronic RA female patients were randomly divided in two groups- control and experimental groups and data. Control group received care which included active hand exercises with hot water fomentation while experimental group received strengthening exercises with therapeutic putty and hot water fomentation. Grip strength was measured by hand dynamometer, key pinch strength of dominant hand was measured by digital pinch meter, pain severity was assessed by Brief pain inventory scale and hand function was measured by SF-SACRAH (Score for Assessment and Quantification of Chronic Rheumatic Affections of Hands) at 0 week, after 4 week, 8 week and 12 week for both groups. Treatment effects were compared by one-way ANOVA followed by post-hoc analysis. The results were analysed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. Results: After 12 weeks of exercise programme, a significant improvement (p&lt;0.01 and p&lt;0.005) were observed in all outcome measures of hand function including reduction in pain severity score from baseline in experimental group. While in control group there was no significant changes in all four parameters from baseline to after 12 week exercise programme. Conclusion: A significant improvement was seen in experimental group as compared to control group after hand strengthening exercise protocol using therapeutic putty suggesting that, hand strengthening exercise programme by using therapeutic putty is effective in chronic RA hand.

Treatment Response in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Grade 3 Elbow Osteoarthritis Following Intra-Articular Injection of 117mSn (Tin) Colloid: ARevie

The radionuclide 117mSn (tin-117m) embedded in a homogeneous colloid is a novel Radio Synovi Orthesis (RSO) device for Intra-Articular (IA) administration to treat synovial inflammation and mitigate Osteo Arthritis (OA) in dogs. A study to evaluate tin-117m colloid treatment response in dogs with OA was conducted at two centers, the School of Veterinary Medicine at Louisiana State University, and at a referral practice in Houston, Texas. The tin-117m colloid was administered per-protocol to 14 client-owned dogs with radio graphically confirmed grade 3 OA in one or both elbow joints. Dog owners and attending clinicians assessed the level of pain at Base Line (BL) and the posttreatment pain response at 90-day intervals for one year. Owners assessed treatment response according to a Pain Severity Score (PSS) and a Pain Interference Score (PIS) as defined by the Canine Brief Pain Inventory. Clinicians reported a lameness score using a 0-5 scale, from no lameness to continuous non-weight bearing lameness, when observing dogs at a walk and a trot. The rate of treatment success as determined by improved mean PSS and PIS scores reported by dog owners was >70% at all-time points. Clinicians reported an improved mean pain score from BL at post-treatment Days 90 (p<0.05), 180, and 270. The dog owner and clinician assessments of treatment success were significantly correlated (p>0.05) at Day 90 and Day 180 time points. Results indicated that a single IA dose of tin-117m colloid provided a significant reduction in pain and lameness and improved functionality for up to a full year, with no adverse treatment related effects, in a high percentage of dogs with advanced, clinical OA of the elbow joint.

Management of Postcaesarean Delivery Analgesia-Diclofenac Suppository, Paracetamol Infusion and a Combination

Introduction: One of the most important aspect of postoperative care is pain management which plays an important role in early recovery and improves patient’s general condition. Paracetamol and diclofenac have an excellent safety profile when compared to opioids. Aim: To assess and compare the analgesic efficacy and safety of individual use of Intravenous (IV) paracetamol, diclofenac suppository and in combination. Materials and Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to June 2020 at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A total of 90 women who underwent caesarean section were recruited for the study and were randomly allocated (lottery method) into three groups with 30 participants in each group. The patients underwent Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) under spinal anaesthesia with the same technique and medicine, (Bupivacaine 0.5%) without receiving any sedation. Group A patients received diclofenac suppository 50 mg every eight hourly, Group B received paracetamol infusion 1000 mg every eight hourly and Group C received 50 mg diclofenac suppository and 500 mg IV paracetamol every eight hourly. Pain severity (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score), Heart Rate (HR), Blood Pressure (BP) and side-effects were evaluated at 2,4,6,8,12 and 24 hours postoperatively. Patient satisfaction score was evaluated 24 hours after caesarean section. Results: Age range of participants was 19 to 28 years. Mean duration of surgery (minutes) in each group were- Group A-56.5±7.49, Group B-58.27±8.06 and Group C-56.97±6.78, respectively. There was a significant reduction of pain in patients receiving paracetamol and diclofenac suppository combination group. The satisfaction score was categorised as excellent by 80% patients in Group C. In Group A 30% and in Group B 16.6% categorised as excellent patient satisfaction score. The adverse effects such as nausea and epigastric discomfort was higher (7.7%) with diclofenac suppository group followed by Paracetamol (2.2% side-effects) and minimal with combination (1%). Conclusion: Paracetamol infusion is as effective as diclofenac suppository in reducing postoperative pain following caesarean section. Diclofenac suppository and IV paracetamol combination provides more effective postoperative analgesia compared with individual usage of IV paracetamol or diclofenac suppository in patients following caesarean section. The combined use of paracetamol and diclofenac suppository has fewer side-effects compared with individual use of either IV paracetamol or diclofenac suppository.

The Effects of Melatonin Treatment on Headache and Vasomotor Reactivity in Patients with Chronic Tension-Type Headache

Objectives: Chronic tension-type headache (TTH) is a serious disease that disrupts quality of life. In this study, the effect of prophylactic oral melatonin treatment on headache and cerebral vasomotor reactivity (VMR) was investigated in patients diagnosed with chronic TTH per the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria. Subjects and Methods: Twenty patients with chronic TTH and 20 healthy individuals were included in the study. The patients were administered a melatonin treatment at 3 mg/day for 12 weeks. The number of monthly painful days and pain severity were recorded with the “Visual Analog Scale” before and after the treatment. Cerebral VMR measurements were performed at baseline in the control group and in patients before and after the treatment. Results: The median number of monthly painful days was 20 (15–27) before the treatment and 10 (4–18) after the treatment; the median pain severity score was 70.00 (45–80) before the treatment and 42.50 (15–75) after the treatment. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). No statistically significant difference between the VMR values was observed (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: Melatonin treatment was effective in reducing the pain severity and decreasing the number of monthly painful days in patients with chronic TTH but demonstrated no effect on the cerebral VMR.

Comparative evaluation of efficacy and safety of drotaverine versus mebeverine in irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized double-blind controlled study

Background:Drotaverine and Mebeverine are used for alleviating the pain of IBS, but the evidence for their efficacy is scarce. In this randomised control study, we evaluated and compared their efficacy in improving severity, frequency of pain and its associated symptoms.Methods:Patients fulfilling the ROME III criteria of IBS were evaluated in this randomised control trial during 4 weeks of treatment. Group A (n = 100) received 80 mg Drotaverine and Group B (n = 100) received 135 mg Mebeverine three times a day, 1 hour before meals. Primary outcome measure was, the reduction in severity of pain (>30% reduction) assessed by VAS (0 to 10 scale) & PSS (patient symptoms scores).Results:The pain severity score fell from 6.02 to 4.8 on day 3 in Group A as compared to decrease from 6.72 to 6.62 in Group B (p < 0.01). This significant reduction in pain severity was observed till the end of the study, reducing from 6.02 to 1.78 (74% reduction) in Group A compared to 6.72 to 3.62 (46.1% reduction) in Group B (p < 0.05). There was a significant reduction in pain frequency, straining on stool, a change in one score in Bristol stool chart (BSC), achievement of complete spontaneous smooth bowel movement in Group A, compared to Group B patients. A significant improvement in Patient's evaluation of Global Assessment of Symptoms (p < 0.05) and Patient Assessment of Constipation – Quality Of Life (PAC-QOL) (p < 0.01) was observed in Group A compared to Group B.Conclusion:Drotaverine was significantly superior in efficacy as compared to Mebeverine in alleviating pain severity (starting from day 3), frequency and stools-elated symptoms of IBS.

Characteristics of musculoskeletal pain among employees of fish processing factory in Udupi City, Karnataka.

Fish processing employees are exposed to various occupational risk factors that result in musculoskeletal pain (MSP). The objective of the study was to determine the characteristics of MSP among them and its association with the nature of the job and work condition. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 364 employees of five fish processing factories using standard questionnaires. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square test were performed using SPSS software version 15.0. The prevalence of MSP was 77.7% affecting more of the upper extremities (43.8%). Mild and moderate types of pain were more (37.6%) that resulted due to repeated work (30.2%) and work method (35.4%) that include extreme temperature and work posture. The mean numeric pain severity score was 3.02 ± 2.14. Global self-rated health was reported as predominantly good (57.7%). To conclude, the study revealed a higher prevalence of MSP and its various characteristics in detail which help in designing intervention programs.

Diabetic Patients Develop Greater Intensity of Postoperative Pain than Non-Diabetics after Open Cholecystectomy: A Pilot Study

Background: Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that inflammatory pain intensity is increased under diabetes condition. Open cholecystectomy (OC) is a surgical procedure with predictable postoperative pain. However, the comparison of postoperative pain due to open cholecystectomy in diabetic and non-diabetic patients remains unknown. The research question to answer was whether diabetic patients undergoing OC development greater intensity of postoperative pain than non-diabetic patients. Methods: The study was conducted between June 2016 and February 2018 at the Regional Hospital of High Specialty “Dr. Juan Graham Casasús” of Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. Seventy patients in two groups of 35 patients each scheduled for OC under general anesthesia were studied. Pain was assessed using the 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS). The primary endpoint was to know NRS pain scores after awaking of general anesthesia. Secondary outcomes included the time of onset of pain and comparing NRS scores between diabetic and non-diabetic patients undergoing OC. Results: Diabetic patients reported significantly greater intensity pain than non-diabetic patients. The mean overall pain score in the diabetic and non-diabetic patients was 7.2 ± 0.3 and 5.3 ± 0.3 (P = 0.0002), respectively. Furthermore, 60% of diabetic patients had severe pain (NRS ≥ 8) compared to 20% of non-diabetics (P = 0.006). The time to onset postoperative pain was about 35 minutes in both groups (P = 0.876). Conclusions: Diabetic patients undergoing OC have greater intensity postoperative pain and also more frequency of patients with severe pain scores compared with non-diabetic patients. Therefore, analgesic treatment in those patients should consider this point in order to provide a satisfactory postoperative analgesia.

High-intensity focused ultrasound in the management of adenomyosis: long-term results from a single center

Objective To investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with adenomyosis treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Materials and methods From June 2012 to January 2020, 2311 patients with adenomyosis were treated with HIFU at our center, 1982 patients who have complete clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. Among the patients who completed the follow-up, 485 were treated with HIFU alone, 289 were treated with HIFU followed by GnRH-a, 255 were treated with HIFU combined with Mirena and 594 were treated with HIFU combined with GnRH-a and Mirena. The dysmenorrhea severity pain score and average menorrhagia severity score before and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 5 years after HIFU were compared. The adverse effects were recorded. In addition, the efficacy between patients treated with GnRH-a and/or Mirena were compared. Results After HIFU ablation, the dysmenorrhea severity pain score and the menorrhagia severity score were significantly decreased at each follow-up time point. However, it was observed that as the follow-up time increased, the effective rate of HIFU treatment in improving dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia decreased. The 6 months and 3 years follow-up results showed that the efficacy of HIFU combined with Mirena and HIFU combined with GnRH-a and Mirena were significantly higher than HIFU alone and HIFU combined with GnRH-a (p < 0.05). The major complications were rare. Conclusion HIFU is a safe and effective treatment for patients with adenomyosis. HIFU combined with Mirena or HIFU combined with GnRH-a and Mirena can significantly enhance the long-term treatment results.

Quality of life of patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries.

Traumatic brachial plexus injuries are devastating injuries with lifelong disability and pain. The objective of this paper was to determine the functional disability of adult patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries. A cross-sectional study was done to determine the functional disability of patients using the FIL-DASH (Filipino Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand) and the BPI (Brief Pain Inventory) Severity Pain Score (Tagalog version) questionnaires to determine the functional disability and quality of life of patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries. A regression analysis was done to determine the factors associated with the FIL-DASH score with the level of significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 126 adult patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries were evaluated with a mean age of 30.1(standard deviation [SD], 9.1; range, 17-69). There were 123 males and three females. The mean quality of life (FIL-DASH Score) of the 126 patients was 45.6 (95% CI: 42.5 - 48.7), (SD, 17.4), (range, 2.5 - 89.2), the mean BPI Severity Pain Score was 16.1 (95% CI: 14.6-17.8; SD, 8.9; range, 0-36) among 126 patients. On multivariate analysis using the hierarchical method of model building, higher range of elbow flexion, lower Brief Pain Inventory Severity Score, and longer months from injury were found to be associated with a better FIL-DASH score. The study showed that elbow flexion recovery, pain and duration of the injury were significantly associated with the FIL-DASH scores.

Implementation of a Standardized Post-Cesarean Delivery Order Set with Multimodal Combination Analgesia Reduces Inpatient Opioid Usage.

Background: Opioid use has emerged as a leading cause of death in the US. Given that 1 in 300 opioid-naive patients exposed to opioids after cesarean birth will become persistent users, hospitals should strive to limit exposure to these medications. We set out to evaluate whether transitioning to a standardized order set based on multimodal combination analgesic therapy decreases the exposure to opioids after cesarean delivery. Methods: Our health system’s post-cesarean pain management electronic medical record (EMR) order set was changed from standing NSAIDs (Ibuprofen 600 mg every 6 h) and additional acetaminophen and opioid medications (Oxycodone 5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg every 3 h or Oxycodone 10 mg/acetaminophen 650 mg every 6 h for moderate and severe pain, respectively) as needed (PRN) to a multimodal combination therapy with acetaminophen (975 mg every 6 h) and NSAIDs (Ibuprofen 600 mg every 6 h) as primary analgesics and opioids PRN (Oxycodone immediate release (IR) 5 mg every 3 h for moderate to severe pain). We performed a retrospective analysis across seven hospitals comparing inpatient opioid use, administration of other analgesics, and severe pain episodes (pain score ≥ 7) between the patients who were treated before and after implementation of the multimodal order set. Chi square and Student t-test were used for statistical analysis with significance determined as p < 0.05. Results: A total of 12,898 cesarean births were included (8696 prior and 4202 after implementation). The multimodal order set was associated with marked decrease in the incidence of post cesarean opioid use (45.4% vs. 67.5%; p < 0.0001), lower average opioid dose (26.7 mg vs. 36.6 mg of oxycodone; p < 0.0001), and increased dose of acetaminophen (8422 mg vs. 4563 mg; p < 0.0001), while severe pain scores were less frequent (46.3% vs. 56.6%, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Multimodal analgesic therapy for post-cesarean pain management reduces inpatient opioid use while improving pain control. Incorporation of a multimodal order set as a default in the EMR facilitates effective and widespread implementation on a large scale. Obstetric units should consider standardizing post-cesarean pain management orders to include routine (not PRN) multimodal combination therapy with acetaminophen and NSAIDs as primary analgesics.

Neuronal Correlates of Cognitive Control Are Altered in Women With Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Pain.

Endometriosis is a debilitating women's health condition and is the most common cause of chronic pelvic pain. Impaired cognitive control is common in chronic pain conditions, however, it has not yet been investigated in endometriosis. The aim of this study was to explore the neuronal correlates of cognitive control in women with endometriosis. Using a cross-sectional study design with data collected at a single time-point, event-related potentials were elicited during a cued continuous performance test from 20 women with endometriosis (mean age = 28.5 ± 5.2 years) and 20 age- and gender-matched controls (mean age = 28.5 ± 5.2 years). Event-related potential components were extracted and P3 component amplitudes were derived with temporal principal components analysis. Behavioral and ERP outcomes were compared between groups and subjective pain severity was correlated with ERP component amplitudes. No significant behavioral differences were seen in task performance between the groups (all p > 0.094). Target P3b (all p < 0.034) and SW (all p < 0.040), and non-target early P3a (eP3a; all p < 0.023) and late P3a (lP3a; all p < 0.035) amplitudes were smaller for the endometriosis compared to the healthy control group. Lower non-target eP3a (p < 0.001), lP3a (p = 0.013), and SW (p = 0.019) amplitudes were correlated with higher pain severity scores. Findings suggest that endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain is linked to alterations in stimulus-response processing and inhibitory control networks, but not impaired behavioral performance, due to compensatory neuroplastic changes in overlapping cognitive control and pain networks.

Oral flunarizine versus oral amitriptyline in migraine prophylaxis – A prospective open label study

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness and tolerability of flunarizine and amitriptyline in migraine prophylaxis. Also to assess the disability associated with migraine using Migraine Disability Assessment Test (MIDAS) and Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) questionnaires. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective observational, open-label, comparative study, conducted for six months among migraine patients attending Tertiary Care Hospital, Mandya. Patients were prescribed either Amitriptyline 25 mg or flunarizine 10 mg OD for three months. Effectiveness was assessed by the number of episodes of migraine attacks, pain severity score on Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), tolerability of adverse reactions reported and disability assessed using MIDAS and HIT-6 questionnaires. Results: Out of 103 patients, 55 were prescribed Amitriptyline and 48 patients flunarizine. 49.5% of patients were between 18 to 30 years of age. At the end of three months of treatment, the frequency and severity of headaches decreased from baseline in both the groups. The overall percentage of responders with >50% reduction from baseline in number of migraine episodes and pain severity together were 67.3% and 50% in amitriptyline and flunarizine groups respectively. There was reduction in MIDAS and HIT-6 scores in both groups, without significant difference between the groups. Both the drugs were well tolerated, with most common adverse effects being dry mouth, somnolence, and constipation. Conclusion: Both amitriptyline and flunarizine are effective in prophylaxis of migraine, with significant reduction in number of episodes and severity of headache from baseline to end of treatment. However, Amitriptyline had a higher overall responder rate when compared to Flunarizine, with similar tolerability profile. Keywords: Migraine prophylaxis, Amitriptyline, Flunarizine, MIDAS, HIT-6.

Neuromuscular exercise for chronic musculoskeletal pain in older people: a randomised controlled trial in primary care in Hong Kong.

BackgroundExercise therapy is commonly prescribed by primary care physicians (PCPs) in the management of chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain.AimTo evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a supervised neuromuscular (NM) exercise programme in older people with chronic MSK pain.Design and settingThis was a 12-week, two-arm, randomised controlled trial comparing 6 weeks of supervised NM exercise versus waiting list controls. The authors enrolled 72 participants with chronic MSK pain at seven public primary care clinics.MethodParticipants were randomly allocated in block sizes of 12 to the NM (n = 36) and control groups (n = 36) in a 1:1 ratio. Data were collected at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) pain severity score at 6 weeks post-intervention. Secondary outcomes included the BPI interference score; Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), 7-item Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores; and functional measurements using the Timed-Up- and-Go test and handgrip strength.ResultsAt 6 weeks, the NM group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in the BPI pain severity score (between-group difference = −1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −2.08 to −0.45; P<0.01), PSEQ (between-group difference = 6.5; 95% CI = 2.22 to 10.77; P<0.01), and SF-12 physical scores (between-group difference = 3.4; 95% CI = 0.05 to 6.75; P<0.05) compared with the control group. Statistically significant overall trends of improvement were also observed for the BPI interference and PHQ-9 scores.ConclusionNM exercise has the potential to reduce pain and improve self-efficacy and physical function in older people with chronic MSK pain. It can be an option for PCPs in exercise prescriptions.

The Effects of Inhalation Aromatherapy on Postoperative Abdominal Pain: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

PurposeThis study compares the effects of inhalation aromatherapy using essential oils of sweet orange and damask rose on postoperative abdominal pain. DesignA randomized three-arm controlled trial. MethodsIn this randomized double-blinded, and parallel-group controlled trial, a total of 120 patients who underwent open abdominal surgeries were enrolled using a sequential sampling method. Participants were then randomly assigned to three groups of sweet orange, damask rose, and placebo (distilled water) using the permuted block randomization. When the patients regained full consciousness, a clean gauze impregnated with four drops of either distilled water or essential oils of sweet orange or damask rose were attached to the collar of the patients, and they were asked to inhale the aroma through normal breathing for 30 minutes. Abdominal pain severity was recorded using the visual analog scale at four time points including before the intervention (baseline) and 4, 8, and 12 hours after the intervention. FindingsPain reduction after sweet orange inhalation was significantly greater than placebo (at 8 and 12 hours after the intervention) and damask rose (at 12 hours after the intervention). The differences in the mean score of pain severity between all before-and-after observations were statistically significant in the three groups, except in the placebo group between the baseline score of pain severity and the pain severity score at 4 hours after the intervention. ConclusionsInhalation aromatherapy using sweet orange seems to be more effective than the damask rose in reducing pain severity after open abdominal surgeries.

The Effect of Preoperative Oral Versus Parenteral Dextrose Supplementation on Pain, Nausea, and Quality of Recovery After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

PurposeEarlier studies suggest that carbohydrate loading is effective in reducing preoperative nausea. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of preoperative oral versus parenteral carbohydrate loading on the postoperative pain, nausea, and quality of recovery (QoR). DesignThree-arm randomized, single-blind clinical trial. MethodsIn this study, 95 adult patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned into three groups of preoperative intravenous dextrose 10% infusion, oral carbohydrate (OCH)–rich drink, and control. The pain and nausea severity scores were measured during recovery, 6 hours, and 24 hours thereafter. The 40-item QoR score was evaluated the day after surgery. FindingsIn recovery, nausea severity was comparable among three groups, whereas pain score in the OCH group was significantly less than the controls (P = .009). Pain score in patients who received intravenous dextrose was mediocre and not statistically different from two other groups. Six and 24 hours after surgery, nausea and pain scores in OCH and dextrose infusion groups were significantly lower than the control group (P < .05). The 40-item QoR score was significantly higher in intervention groups than control participants (P < .05). Blood glucose levels were comparable in three groups before and after surgery. ConclusionsPreoperative carbohydrate loading significantly improves the QoR after laparoscopic cholecystectomy without significant effect on blood glucose levels. Oral route more effectively controls nausea and pain than parenteral dextrose administration.

Procedural Pain and Serious Adverse Events with Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy: Real World Experience from India

Background: Bone Marrow aspiration and Biopsy (BMAB) is perceived by patients as a painful procedure with fearsome complications. Though informed as safe and well tolerated; there is limited data about the complications and degree of pain experienced by patients undergoing BMAB.[1] Further scarce is data from the developing world where procedural fear discourages patients from pursuing treatment and diagnosis.[2] Methods Aims: To estimate the level of pain and frequency of serious adverse eventsexperienced by patients undergoing BMAB at our center. We also attempted to identify factors associated with increased pain perception. Study setting: This study was conducted at a tertiary level teaching hospital, the Christian Medical College &amp; Hospital, Ludhiana. Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional research committee (CMC/1495). Study period: 01 April 2015 through 30 Nov 2019 Study Design: This is a comparative cross sectional study where comparison of those with relatively more pain to those with less was done to elicit the factors associated with pain perception. Study Population: All consecutive patients who underwent a BMAB and provided informed consent which was taken pre-procedure, were included. We excluded patients who underwent the procedure under general anesthesia. Logistics of the Study: The BMAB was performed variably by Consultant Physicians, Trainee Physicians and Physician Assistants. All patients were pre-medicated with tramadol intravenous pre-procedure, and the preferred approach was from the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS) in a left lateral decubitus under local anesthesia with lignocain. Patients were sent home or returned to their ward after upto 60 minutes of observation. A serious adverse event was considered as one requiring a prolonged observation beyond routine practice or extending to an admission to manage adverse events following and related to the BMAB. Data sources and variables Information regarding age at diagnosis, address and sex, indication to perform the BMAB, coded as malignant and non-malignant was collected from each patient. Number of prior procedures and details regarding food intake were collected as recalled by the patient. Level of pain was noted soon after the BMAB using a combined Wong-Baker grimace with numeric pain scale by the patient themselves. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to characterize variables. Univariate and Multivariate Logistic Regression were used to identify factors associated with higher pain severity (Score &amp;gt;2). Results: A total of 942 BMAB procedures were performed in this period. Baseline characteristics as tabulated below (Table1). Although the Mean + SD pain score was only 2.7 + 1.39, fourteen patients (1.48%) reported severe pain (&amp;gt;8). The following risk-factors were associated with increased pain on multivariate analysis: those experiencing their first BMAB procedure had very low odds of pain (OR (95 % CI): 0.23 (0.15-0.37)). However, when more than one attempt of biopsy was made, the odds of pain was much higher (OR (95 % CI): 1.62 (1.29-2.05)). Food and drink intake prior to procedure was associated only at the univariate level. Those who did not take any food prior to procedure had very high odds of pain (odds ratio (OR) 1.81 (95 % CI 1.01-3.22)). However, those who took juice had very low odds (OR (95 % CI): 0.619 (0.43-0.90)). Nine (0.95%) serious adverse events were reported. There were no deaths. The major serious adverse event was hemorrhage resulting from pseudo-aneurysm of the posterior iliac artery, which comprised 2 of the 9 serious adverse events. Other serious adverse events included persistent vomiting and severe aching pain in the ipsilateral leg. Conclusions: In our analysis BMAB is associated with a low level of procedural pain and is safe. The pain perception was not influenced by the operator. Factors associated with decreased pain perception were first procedural BMAB experience and successful completion of the procedure in the first attempt. Having at least a snack or a juice pre-procedure could reduce pain perception. Serious adverse events are rare in our experience. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Two-Year Quality of Life Outcomes After Robotic-Assisted Minimally Invasive and Open Esophagectomy

Robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) is a safe alternative to open esophagectomy (OE). However, differences in quality of life (QOL) after these procedures remain unclear. We previously reported short-term QOL outcomes after RAMIE and OE and describe here our results from 2 years of follow-up. We conducted a prospective, nonrandomized trial of patients with esophageal cancer undergoing transthoracic resection by RAMIE or OE at a single institution. The primary outcomes were patient-reported QOL, measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Esophageal (FACT-E), and pain, measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). Generalized linear models were used to assess the relationship between QOL outcomes and surgery cohort. P values were adjusted (P-adj) within each model using the false discovery rate correction. Esophagectomy was performed in 170 patients (106 OE and 64 RAMIE). The groups did not differ significantly by any measured clinicopathologic variables. After covariates were controlled for, FACT-E scores were higher in the RAMIE cohort than in the OE cohort (parameter estimate [PE], 6.13; P-adj= .051). RAMIE was associated with higher esophageal cancer subscale (PE, 2.72; P-adj= .022) and emotional well-being (PE, 1.25; P-adj= .016) scores. BPI pain severity scores were lower in the RAMIE cohort than in the OE cohort (PE,-0.56; P-adj= .005), but pain interference scores did not differ significantly between groups (P-adj= .11). During 2 years of follow-up, RAMIE was associated with improved patient-reported QOL, including esophageal symptoms, emotional well-being, and decreased pain, compared with OE.