Severe Pain Group Research Articles

Prognostic Factor Analysis for Management of Chronic Neck Pain: Can We Predict the Severity of Neck Pain with Lateral Cervical Curvature?

ObjectiveAlthough little is known about its origins, neck pain may be related to several associated anatomical pathologies. We aimed to characterize the incidence and features of chronic neck pain and analyze the relationship between neck pain severity and its affecting factors.MethodsBetween March 2012 and July 2013, we studied 216 patients with chronic neck pain. Initially, combined tramadol (37.5 mg) plus acetaminophen (325 mg) was administered orally twice daily (b.i.d.) to all patients over a 2-week period. After two weeks, patients were evaluated for neck pain during an outpatient clinic visit. If the numeric rating scale of the patient had not decreased to 5 or lower, a cervical medial branch block (MBB) was recommended after double-dosed previous medication trial. We classified all patients into two groups (mild vs. severe neck pain group), based on medication efficacy. Logistic regression tests were used to evaluate the factors associated with neck pain severity.ResultsA total of 198 patients were included in the analyses, due to follow-up loss in 18 patients. While medication was successful in reducing pain in 68.2% patients with chronic neck pain, the remaining patients required cervical MBB. Lateral cervical curvature, such as a straight or sigmoid type curve, was found to be significantly associated with the severity of neck pain.ConclusionWe managed chronic neck pain with a simple pharmacological management protocol followed by MBB. We should keep in mind that it may be difficult to manage the patient with straight or sigmoid lateral curvature only with oral medication.

The association between baseline persistent pain and weight change in patients attending a specialist weight management service.

ObjectiveTo quantify the influence of baseline pain levels on weight change at one-year follow-up in patients attending a National Health Service specialist weight management programme.MethodsWe compared one-year follow-up weight (body mass) change between patient sub-groups of none-to-mild, moderate, and severe pain at baseline. A mean sub-group difference in weight change of ≥5kg was considered clinically relevant.ResultsOf the 141 complete cases, n = 43 (30.5%) reported none-to-mild pain, n = 44 (31.2%) reported moderate pain, and n = 54 (38.3%) reported severe pain. Covariate-adjusted mean weight loss (95%CI) was similar for those with none-to-mild (8.1kg (4.2 to 12.0kg)) and moderate pain (8.3kg (4.9 to 11.7kg). The mean weight loss of 3.0kg (-0.4 to 6.4kg) for the severe pain group was 5.1kg (-0.6 to 10.7, p = 0.08) lower than the none-to-mild pain group and 5.3kg (0.4 to 10.2kg, p = 0.03) lower than the moderate pain group.ConclusionsPatients with severe pain upon entry to a specialist weight management service in England achieve a smaller mean weight loss at one-year follow-up than those with none-to-moderate pain. The magnitude of the difference in mean weight loss was clinically relevant, highlighting the importance of addressing severe persistent pain in obese patients undertaking weight management programmes.

MP29-15 BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF SUICIDALITY IN PATIENTS WITH INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS/BLADDER PAIN SYNDROME

You have accessJournal of UrologyInfections/Inflammation/Cystic Disease of the Genitourinary Tract: Interstitial Cystitis II1 Apr 2017MP29-15 BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF SUICIDALITY IN PATIENTS WITH INTERSTITIAL CYSTITIS/BLADDER PAIN SYNDROME Dean Tripp, J Curtis Nickel, Joel Dueck, Abigale Muere, Haley Yurgan, and Madelaine Gierc Dean TrippDean Tripp More articles by this author , J Curtis NickelJ Curtis Nickel More articles by this author , Joel DueckJoel Dueck More articles by this author , Abigale MuereAbigale Muere More articles by this author , Haley YurganHaley Yurgan More articles by this author , and Madelaine GiercMadelaine Gierc More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2017.02.927AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Suicide is a significant problem in the general and chronic pain population. Although two studies have examined the prevalence and predictors of suicidal ideation in people suffering from Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS), these studies are limited by their sample selection, assessment of suicidal thinking and behaviour or risk, and the lack of any direct assessment of variables in current theories of suicide. The current study examines the prevalence of suicide risk and the significance of various demographic and biopsychosocial factors that are theoretically implicated in the prediction of suicide risk in an IC/BPS sample. METHODS Female patients currently suffering from IC/BPS (N=813) were recruited from online support groups and complete an online questionnaire containing measures of demographic, pain, symptoms, and psychosocial variables. RESULTS The sample was split into groups of suicide risk, based on an adult general population cut-off score of =7 for the SBQ-R, creating a not at risk group (n = 503, M = 3.96, SD = 1.11) and an at risk group (n = 310, M = 9.73, SD = 2.65). This data split showed that 310 participants, or 38.1% of the sample, were at risk for suicide. Alternatively, using the more conservative cut-off score of =8 (based on an adult inpatient population), 233 participants, or 28.7%, were at risk for suicide (see Figure 1). In regression analyses testing empirically/theoretically implicated contributors to suicidal behaviour, exposure to suicide, pain catastrophizing, psychache, hopelessness and perceived burdensomeness were found to significantly predict suicide risk. Further, regressions for low, moderate and severe pain patients groups showed that hopelessness was the strongest predictor of suicide risk in low pain patient group; psychache in the moderate pain group: and perceived burdensomeness in severe pain group. CONCLUSIONS The high prevalence of suicidality presented in this study denotes the imperative of recognizing suicidality within the IC/BPS population. Further, the identified psychosocial risk factors will be useful in improving screening and to anchor potential treatment targets for suicidality in IC/BPS. © 2017FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 197Issue 4SApril 2017Page: e386 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2017MetricsAuthor Information Dean Tripp More articles by this author J Curtis Nickel More articles by this author Joel Dueck More articles by this author Abigale Muere More articles by this author Haley Yurgan More articles by this author Madelaine Gierc More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Increased local expressions of CX3CL1 and CCL2 are related to clinical severity in lumbar disk herniation patients with sciatic pain.

BackgroundChemokines have been identified to be involved in the modulation of pain through both peripheral and central mechanisms. However, the role of chemokines in lumbar disk herniation (LDH) with sciatic pain remains unknown.ObjectiveThe current study was performed to explore the expression of two most commonly studied chemokines CX3CL1 and CCL2 and assess their associations with clinical severity in LDH patients with sciatic pain.MethodsThe soft tissues around nerve root (STANR), annulus fibrosus (AF), and nucleus pulposus (NP) biopsies were obtained from 36 LDH patients with chronic sciatic pain and 10 scoliosis patients (painless controls). The serum and local expressions of CX3CL1 and CCL2 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis, respectively. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores for low back pain and lower extremity pain and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were recorded on the day of hospital admission to evaluate the clinical severity. LDH patients with sciatic pain were divided into severe pain (SP) group (VAS ≥7; n=18) and mild-to-moderate pain (M-MP) group (VAS <7; n=18) for lower extremity pain.ResultsLocal expressions instead of CX3CL1 and CCL2 in STANR, AF, and NP were significantly higher in the SP group than in M-MP compared with scoliosis painless group. Expressions of both CX3CL1 and CCL2 in STANR and AF were positively correlated with VAS scores for lower extremity and for low back pain, respectively. In addition, CX3CL1 and CCL2 expressions in STANR were negatively associated with JOA scores. There were no significant differences of serum CX3CL1 and CCL2 levels among SP group, M-MP group, and scoliosis painless group.ConclusionBoth CX3CL1 and CCL2 may play important roles in maintaining pain in LDH patients. Local blockade of CX3CL1 and CCL2 in LDH patients with persistent pain deserves further intensive study.

Assessment of acute pain in trauma-A retrospective prehospital evaluation.

To elucidate pain treatment with analgesics in a prehospital trauma population. Retrospective database study. Prehospital data from the anesthesiologist-manned Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU) in Odense, Denmark, were extracted and subjected to analysis. During the period of January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014, patients with the diagnoses "unspecified multiple injuries," "examination and observation following traffic accident," "examination and observation following other accident," and "commotio cerebri" were included in the analysis. Evaluation of the application of the pain scale Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Furthermore, the authors performed a characterization of the patients with mild pain and severe pain according to specific parameters such as pharmacological interventions, opioid consumption, intubation, and others. Nine hundred eighty-five cases were analyzed. NRS was documented only in one case. In all, 787 patients experienced no pain or mild pain (no pain, n = 242; mild pain, n = 545) and 168 patients severe pain or worse (severe pain, n = 155; intolerable pain, n = 13). In the severe pain group, 138 were treated with opioid analgesics or S-ketamine, while no pharmacological intervention was documented in 30 cases. Eight of the 138 cases with severe pain needed endotracheal intubation, whereas nine cases in the patients with mild or no pain needed endotracheal intubation; odds ratio (OR) 4.3 (p = 0.003). Effect was only documented in one patient after administering opioids in a patient with trauma population, where approximately 17 percent of patients experienced severe pain. Severe pain was correlated to male gender, respiratory intervention, opioid administration, and the diagnosis unspecified multiple injuries.

The relationship between back pain and schoolbag use: a cross-sectional study of 5,318 Italian students

Background ContextBack pain at a young age is considered to be predictive of chronicity. Several studies have investigated the relationship between the use of a schoolbag and back pain, although some aspects are still unclear. PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate back pain due to schoolbag use in terms of (1) prevalence and intensity, (2) differences between male and female pupils, and (3) predisposing factors. Study DesignThis is a cross-sectional study. Patient SampleThe sample was composed of 5,318 healthy pupils aged 6 to 19 years (classified according to three age groups: children, younger adolescents, and older adolescents). Outcome MeasuresSchoolbag-related pain was assessed by means of an ad hoc questionnaire. The intensity of pain was assessed using the Wong scale. MethodsSubjects underwent a face-to-face interview using an ad hoc questionnaire. The intensity of pain was assessed using the Wong scale. On the basis of the prevalence and intensity of back pain, we divided our population into two groups: (1) no or mild pain group and (2) moderate or severe pain group. The “schoolbag load” (ratio between schoolbag and pupil weight multiplied by 100) was calculated for each subject. ResultsMore than 60% of the subjects reported pain. Although the schoolbag load decreased from children to young and older adolescents, schoolbag-related pain significantly increased (p<.001). Girls reported significantly more frequent and more severe pain than boys. The logistic model confirmed that adolescent girls are the group at greatest risk of suffering from intense pain. The schoolbag load had a weak impact on back pain, whereas the schoolbag carrying time was a strong predictor. ConclusionsAdolescent girls have the highest risk of experiencing severe back pain, regardless of schoolbag load. This suggests that other factors (anatomical, physiological, or environmental) might play an important role in pain perception. These aspects should be investigated to plan appropriate preventive and rehabilitative strategies.

Relationships between Mild/Severe Knee Joint Pain and Fall Risk Assessment Items in Elderly Females

Aims: This study aimed to examine differences in corresponding rates of fall risk survey items among 3 groups of elderly females categorized on the basis of knee pain. Methodology: Total of 392 subjects completed the fall risk survey, which comprised 50 items representing 5 risk factors: “symptoms of falling,” “disease and physical symptoms,” “environment,” “behavior and character” and “physical function.” Results: The corresponding rates for items related to physical function factor tended to be significantly higher in the severe knee pain group than in the no and mild knee pain groups. However, the corresponding rates for items related to frequency of motion in the behavioral and character factors category were significantly higher in the no and mild knee pain groups than in the severe knee pain group. The corresponding rates of items related to environmental factors and behavioral and character factors tended to be higher in the severe knee pain group. Conclusion: The severe knee pain group exhibited higher corresponding rates in several fall risk items compared with the other 2 groups. The fall risk items related to frequency of motion in the behavioral and character factors category showed a tendency to be low in the groups with no or mild pain.

Effect of Preoperative Pain on Inferior Alveolar Nerve Block

The present study tested the hypothesis that the amount and severity of preoperative pain will affect the anesthetic efficacy of inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB) in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. One-hundred seventy-seven adult volunteer subjects, actively experiencing pain in a mandibular molar, participated in this prospective double-blind study carried out at 2 different centers. The patients were classified into 3 groups on the basis of severity of preoperative pain: mild, 1-54 mm on the Heft-Parker visual analog scale (HP VAS); moderate, 55-114 mm; and severe, greater than 114 mm. After IANB with 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine, endodontic access preparation was initiated. Pain during treatment was recorded using the HP VAS. The primary outcome measure was the ability to undertake pulp access and canal instrumentation with no or mild pain. The success rates were statistically analyzed by multiple logistic regression test. There was a significant difference between the mild and severe preoperative pain group (P = .03). There was a positive correlation between the values of preoperative and intraoperative pain (r = .2 and .4 at 2 centers). The amount of preoperative pain can affect the anesthetic success rates of IANB in patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Relationship between nerve fiber density in bladder tissues and pain symptom in patients with interstitial cystitis

Objective To investigate the relationship of nerve fiber density in bladder tissues and pain symptom in patients with interstitial cystitis (IC),in order to understand its role in the bladder pain of IC patients.Methods The experimental group included 51 cases of IC patients (9 male,42 female) and the control group included 25 cases with normal bladder tissue.All the cases underwent visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores,immunohistochemistry of the PGP9.5 monoclonal antibody and nerve fiber counting.Results The nerve fiber density of the bladder tissue in the 2 groups was 4.78± 1.47/cm2,3.53± 1.19 /cm2,respectively (P=0.021).The nerve fiber density of IC with pain group and IC without pain group was 5.56±1.85/cm2,3.82±1.34/cm2,respectively (P=0.018).There was no significant difference in nerve fiber density between IC without pain group and the control group (P =0.164).The nerve fiber density of mild pain group,moderate pain group,severe pain group was 4.95± 1.52/cm2,5.37± 1.76/cm2,5.83± 1.91 /cm2,respectively,and the differences were significant (F=4.698,P=0.023; Pmoderate/mild =0.034,P /mod =0.029).Furthermore,the nerve fiber density of IC was positively correlated with VAS pain score (r=0.332,P=0.015).Conclusions The density of nerve fibers in bladder tissues of IC with pain group is higher than that of IC without pain group and normal controls,and it has a positive relationship with pain symptom scores,which suggestes that high expression of nerve fibers in bladder tissues may play an important role in the bladder pain of IC patients. Key words: Cystitis, interstitial; Nerve fiber density; Visual analogue scale

The display effects of patients' self-assessment on traumatic acute pain on the proportion and timing of analgesics administration in the emergency department.

BackgroundAcute pain assessment in the emergency department (ED) is important in particular during the triage process. Early pain assessment and management improve outcome. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of documentation and display of patient's self-assessment of pain using numerical rating scale (NRS) on analgesic use among adult trauma patients in ED.MethodsA randomized control trial was conducted recruiting 216 trauma patients who presented to ED of two tertiary centers. Pain score was done using NRS for all patients. They were randomized into pain score display group or not displayed in the control. The outcome measured were proportion of patients receiving analgesics and timing from triage to analgesic administration.ResultsThe proportion of patients who received analgesics when pain score was displayed was 6.5% more than when pain score was not displayed. This difference was however not statistically significant. However, stratified categorical analysis using chi-square showed that the displayed severe pain group was 1.3 times more likely to receive analgesics compared to the non-displayed group. The mean timing to analgesic administration for the displayed and non-displayed groups were 81.3 ± 41.2 (95% C.I 65.9, 96.7) and 88.7 ± 45.4 (95% C.I 69.0, 108.3), respectively (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe proportion of patients who received analgesics increased when NRS was displayed. However, the pain display has no significant effect on the timing of analgesics.

Expression of nerve growth factor produced by ectopic endometrium from patients with adenomyosis and its relationship with pain scales and innervation

To investigate the expression of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the ectopic endometrium in adenomyosis patients, and explore the relationship between NGF expression and innervation or pain scales. From Mar. 2009 to Oct. 2009, 45 adenomyosis patients undergoing hysterectomy in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were enrolled in this study, which were classified into 33 cases in pain group and 12 cases in non-pain group based on symptom. The degree of dysmenoreal, chronic pelvic pain and dyspareunia was evaluated by visual analogue scale, including no pain, mild to moderate pain and severe pain group. In the mean time, 26 patients with leiomyoma or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CIN III) undergoing hysterectomy were defined as control group. Ectopic endometrium from experimental group and eutopic endometrium from control group were collected in the surgery. The expression of NGF was examined by immunohistochemistry. The density of protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 positive nerve fibers was detected by immuno-fluorescence. The NGF level and the density of PGP 9.5 positive nerve fibers in adenomyosis pain group (0.25 ± 0.08, 16 ± 8 )were higher than adenomyosis painless (0.19 ± 0.05, P = 0.007;11 ± 5, P = 0.018) and control group (0.18 ± 0.05, P = 0.000; 9 ± 4, P = 0.000) . The NGF level and the density of PGP9.5 positive nerve fibers in severe dysmenorrheal group (0.29 ± 0.07, 19 ± 10) were higher than mild to moderate dysmenorrheal (0.22 ± 0.07, P = 0.018;13 ± 4, P = 0.035) and painless group (0.18 ± 0.05, P = 0.000;11 ± 5, P = 0.006) of adenomyosis patients. There was no difference of NGF level and the density of PGP 9.5 positive nerve fibers in chronic pelvic pain group and no chronic pelvic pain group of adenomyosis patients, so was dyspareunia group and no dyspareunia group. The increased NGF level of adenomyosis nodules and improving innervation might be involved in the mechanism of adenomyosis related pain.

Effects of Mild and Severe Knee Joint Pain on the Frequency of Falls and Fall Risk in Elderly Females

This study aimed to examine differences in the frequency of falls during the past year and fall risk among 392 elderly females was categorized into five groups on the basis of the knee pain expe-rienced: no knee pain, mild unilateral knee pain, mild bilateral knee pain, severe unilateral knee pain, and severe bilateral knee pain. The subjects participated in a fall risk survey comprising 50 items representing five risk factors: “symptoms of falling”, “disease and physical symptoms”, “en-vironment”, “behavior and character”, and “physical function”. The frequency of falls during the past year, score for each risk factor, and the total fall risk score were not significantly different between the mild unilateral and mild bilateral knee pain groups, and between the severe unilateral and severe bilateral knee pain groups. Therefore, these groups were pooled to form a mild knee pain group and a severe knee pain group and analyzed. The severe knee pain group had experienced a significantly greater number of falls during the past year compared with the no knee pain group. Furthermore, the symptom of falling score was significantly higher in the severe knee pain group than in the no knee pain group, while the disease and physical symptoms score was significantly higher in the mild and severe knee pain groups than in the no knee pain group. The physical function score and total fall risk score were significantly higher in the following order: the severe knee pain group, the mild knee pain group, and the no knee pain group. Our results indicate that for elderly females who can achieve ADL independently, the degree of knee pain (mild or severe) has a marked effect on fall risk, irrespective of laterality of the pain (unilateral or bilateral). Factors such as symptoms of falling, disease and physical symptoms, and physical function are also related to fall risk in this population. Furthermore, elderly individuals with severe knee pain experience frequent falls.

Burden of Chronic Low Back Pain with a Neuropathic Pain Component: Retrospective Chart Review and Cross-sectional Survey among Adults Seeking Treatment in the United States

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is highly prevalent, and between 35% and 55% of individuals with CLBP suffer from a neuropathic pain component (CLBP-NeP). Limited data on the economic and patient burden in this CLBP subgroup have been published. Methods: This observational study aimed to characterize burden among CLBP-NeP subjects (n=106) recruited during routine physician visits in the United States. Subjects completed a questionnaire to capture pain severity, function, health status, sleep, anxiety/depression, lost productivity, demographics, employment status, and out-of- pocket expenses. Investigators completed a 6-month retrospective chart review to capture clinical characteristics and CLBP-NeP-related healthcare resource use. Based on average pain severity scores, subjects were stratified into mild, moderate, and severe pain groups. Summary statistics were calculated, and differences across severity groups were evaluated. Results: Subjects’ mean (SD) age was 54.1 (11.9) years; 57.5% were female. Most subjects had at least one comorbidity (87.7%); common comorbidities included sleep disturbance/insomnia [58.5%], depressive symptoms [51.9%], headache/migraine [46.2%], and anxiety [45.3%]. Mean (SD) pain severity score was 6.0 (1.77). Outcomes were worse among subjects with greater pain for health status, function, and sleep. Overall, 23.6% of subjects were employed for pay; 32.1% reported being disabled due to CLBP-NeP. Among those employed, lost productivity due to CLBP-NeP (62.3% overall work impairment) was substantial. Nearly all (98.1%) subjects were prescribed one or more medications for CLBP-NeP, including opioids (81.1%), muscle relaxants (33.0%), and antiepileptics (28.3%). Mean adjusted annualized direct and indirect costs per subject were $8,305 and $30,496 (mild), $10,189 and $26,428 (moderate), and $11,880 and $25,051 (severe), respectively, with no significant differences observed. Conclusions: Patient and economic CLBP-NeP burden is high despite active management. Sub-optimal outcomes were associated with greater pain severity. Findings point to unmet need and indicate CLBP-NeP burden is experienced in terms of poor function and lost productivity.

Outcomes in Patients With Minimal Back Pain Undergoing Prophylactic Lumbar Fusion for Iatrogenic Instability

For most patients undergoing lumbar fusion, back pain is a substantial part of their preoperative symptomatology. Occasionally, there are patients with minimal back pain in whom the extent of decompression required to treat leg symptoms requires a concomitant fusion to prevent postoperative instability. Although these patients may obtain relief of their leg pain, an additional concern is whether they will develop increased back pain after fusion. This study’s primary cohort comprised 1144 patients with complete preoperative and 2-year postoperative data including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Short Form 36 (SF-36), and numeric rating scales (NRS) for back and leg pain. Thirty-nine patients with a preoperative back pain score of 3 or less were identified. Propensity scoring was used to match these patients to patients with moderate back pain (NRS 4-6) and severe back pain (NRS 7-10) based on demographics, baseline health-related quality of life, and surgical characteristics, resulting in 35 patients in each group. Paired t tests were used to determine within-group differences, and analysis of variance was used to determine between-group differences. A statistically significant improvement occurred in ODI, SF-36 Physical Component Summary, and NRS leg pain scores from preoperatively to 2 years postoperatively (P<.0001) within all groups; and a statistically significant improvement occurred in back pain scores in the moderate and severe back pain groups. No statistically significant change occurred in back pain from preoperatively to 2 years postoperatively (P=.528) in the minimal back pain group. Patients undergoing lumbar fusion for predominant leg pain with minimal back pain had acceptable outcomes, with no increase in back pain postoperatively.

The relationship between spinopelvic parameters and clinical symptoms of severe isthmic spondylolisthesis: a prospective study of 64 patients

To investigate the relationship between spinopelvic parameters and clinical symptoms for patients with severe isthmic spondylolisthesis. A series of spinopelvic parameters were measured in 64 patients with L5 severe isthmic spondylolisthesis. The patients were divided into two groups according to Oswestry score obtained preoperatively, i.e. mild or severe low back pain group. T test was used to compare parameters between two groups, and multiple linear regression analysis was employed to investigate the association between parameters and Oswestry score. Compared with two group patients, parameters of spondylolisthesis grade, pelvic tilt (PT), lumbar lordosis (LL), T9 tilting angle (T9TA), sacro-femoral horizontal distance (SFHD), distance between perpendicular line through C7 and sacrum (SC7D), pelvic tilt/sacral slope (PT/SS), sacro-femoral horizontal distance/vertical distance (SFHD/SFVD), and lumbar lordosis/thoracic kyphosis (LL/TK) were significantly increased in severe low back pain group, while SS and SFVD were significantly decreased, and no significant difference was found for pelvic incidence (PI) and TK. The statistical analysis showed that spondylolisthesis grade, PT, SC7D, LL, SFHD, PT/SS, SFHD/SFVD, and LL/TK had a significant positive correlation with Oswestry score, with an order of spondylolisthesis grade > PT/SS > SC7D > PT > SFHD/SFVD > SFHD > LL/TK > LL. No significant correlation was found for PI, TK, T9TA with Oswestry score, while SS and SFVD had a significant negative correlation with Oswestry score, with an order of SS > SFVD. The spinopelvic parameters (spondylolisthesis grade, SS, PT, SC7D, LL, SFVD, SFHD, PT/SS, SFHD/SFVD, LL/TK) are significantly correlated with clinical symptoms of severe isthmic spondylolisthesis in patients. The association of the exacerbation of low back pain with SS (correlation coefficient -0.981, strong) and SFVD (correlation coefficient -0.802, strong) is the most significant correlation.

Is Severe Pain Immediately after Spinal Augmentation a Predictor of Long-Term Outcomes?

Severe, immediate postprocedural pain and the need for analgesics after vertebroplasty can be a discouraging experience for patients and caregivers. The goal of this study was to investigate whether the presence of severe pain immediately after vertebroplasty predicts short- and long-term pain relief. A chart review was performed to categorize patients regarding pain severity and analgesic usage immediately after vertebroplasty (< 4 h). "Severe" pain was defined as at least 8 of 10 with the 10-point VAS. Outcomes were pain severity and pain medication score and usage at 1 month and 1 year after vertebroplasty. Outcomes and clinical characteristics were compared between groups by using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Fisher exact test. Of the 429 vertebroplasty procedures identified, 69 (16%) were associated with severe pain, and 133 (31%) were associated with analgesic administration immediately after the procedure. The group experiencing severe pain had higher preprocedure median VAS rest pain scores (5 [IQR, 2-7]) and activity pain scores (10 [IQR, 8-10]) compared with patients who did not experience severe pain (3 [IQR, 1-6]; P = .0208, and 8 [IQR, 7-10]; P = .0263, respectively). At 1 month postprocedure, VAS rest and activity pain scores were similar between the severe pain group and the nonsevere pain group (P = .16 and P = .25, respectively) and between the group receiving pain medication and the group not receiving pain medication (P = .25 and P = .67, respectively). This similarity continued for 1 year after the procedure. Analgesic usage was similar among all groups at 1 year postprocedure. Patients with severe pain immediately after vertebroplasty have similar long-term outcomes compared with patients without severe pain.

The Perforation-Operation time Interval; An Important Mortality Indicator in Peptic Ulcer Perforation.

To find out the significance of the Perforation-Operation Interval (POI) with respect to an early prognosis, in patients with peritonitis which is caused by peptic ulcer perforation. Case series. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of General Surgery, Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences and RF Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, India from 2008-2011. This study included 150 patients with generalized peritonitis, who were diagnosed to have Perforated Peptic Ulcers (PPUs). The diagnosis of the PPUs was established on the basis of the history , the clinical examination and the radiological findings. The perforation-operation interval was calculated from the time of onset of the symptoms like severe abdominal pain or vomiting till the time the patient was operated. Out of the 150 patients 134 were males and 16 were females, with a male : female ratio of 9:1. Their ages ranged between 25-70 years. Out of the 150 patients, 65 patients (43.3%) presented within 24 hours of the onset of severe abdominal pain (Group A), 27 patients (18%) presented between 24-48 hours of the onset of severe abdominal pain (Group B) and 58 patients (38.6%) presented after 48 hours. There was no mortality in Group A and the morbidity was more in Group B and Group C. There were 15 deaths in Group C. The problem of peptic ulcer perforation with its complication, can be decreased by decreasing the perforation -operation time interval, which as per our study, appeared to be the single most important mortality and morbidity indicator in peptic ulcer perforation.

Clinical features and surgical results of cervical myelopathy caused by soft disc herniation.

ObjectiveThere are many causes of cervical myelopathy including trauma, degenerative conditions, tumors and demyelinating disorders. However, myelopathy caused by soft disc herniation might be seen rarely than the spondylosis caused by hard disc. Here, authors retrospectively analyzed the clinical features and results of cervical myelopathy caused by soft disc herniation.MethodsFrom March 2010 to December 2010, 134 patients with degenerative cervical spinal disease were treated with anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion. Among them, 21 patients with cervical myelopathy secondary to cervical soft disc herniation were analyzed. Their clinical features, preoperative and, postoperative clinical results were evaluated by Nurick Grade and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scale (JOA) retrospectively. Preoperative clinical features including duration of myelopathy, pain intensity and postoperative clinical results including improvement rate of myelopathy and radiculopathy were retrospectively analyzed by Nurick Grade and JOA scale. We also evaluated correlation between the duration of symptom, type of the disc herniation, pain intensity and clinical outcome.ResultsMean age was 49.7 and male was predominant. Gait disturbance with mild to moderate pain was most common symptom in clinical features. Severe pain was shown in only 9 cases, and the other 12 cases experienced mild to moderate pain. Mean duration of myelopathy was 1.18 month. The mean JOA scores were 11.22 before surgery and 14.2 after surgery. The mean Nurick grades were 2.78 before treatment and 1.67 after treatment. Neurologic status of mild or moderate pain group on preoperative state is worse than that of severe pain group. The patients with duration of myelopathy symptom (<1 month) showed lower clinical improvement rate than the patients with myelopathy over 1 month. Patients with median type of disc herniation showed poorer neurological status than those with paramedian type of herniation in preoperative state.ConclusionAuthors reviewed the clinical features and surgical outcome of the cervical myelopathy secondary to cervical soft disc herniation. We presumed that patients of more than one month of symptom duration, mild to moderate initial symptom would be related with better postoperative improvement rate.

Identification of Patient Subgroups and Risk Factors for Persistent Breast Pain Following Breast Cancer Surgery

Study purposes were to determine the prevalence of persistent pain in the breast; characterize distinct persistent pain classes using growth mixture modeling; and evaluate for differences among these pain classes in demographic, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics. In addition, differences in the severity of common symptoms and quality of life outcomes measured prior to surgery, among the pain classes, were evaluated. Patients (n = 398) were recruited prior to surgery and followed for 6 months. Using growth mixture modeling, patients were classified into no (31.7%), mild (43.4%), moderate (13.3%), and severe (11.6%) pain groups based on ratings of worst breast pain. Differences in a number of demographic, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative characteristics differentiated among the pain classes. In addition, patients in the moderate and severe pain classes reported higher preoperative levels of depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance than the no pain class. Findings suggest that approximately 25% of women experience significant and persistent levels of breast pain in the first 6 months following breast cancer surgery. PerspectivePersistent pain is a significant problem for 25% of women following surgery for breast cancer. Severe breast pain is associated with clinically meaningful decrements in functional status and quality of life.

Mild, Moderate, and Severe Pain in Patients Recovering from Major Abdominal Surgery

Pain interferes with various activities, such as coughing, deep breathing, and ambulation, designed to promote recovery and prevent complications after surgery. Determining appropriate cutpoints for mild, moderate, and severe pain is important, because specific interventions may be based on this classification. The purpose of this research was to determine optimal cutpoints for postoperative patients based on their worst and average pain during hospitalization and after discharge to home, and whether the optimal cutpoints distinguished patients with mild, moderate, or severe pain regarding patient outcomes. This secondary analysis consisted of 192 postoperative patients aged ≥60 years. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to stratify the sample into mild, moderate, and severe pain groups using eight cutpoint models for worst and average pain in the last 24 hours. One-way analyses of variance were conducted to determine whether patients experiencing mild, moderate, or severe pain were different in outcome. Optimal cutpoints were similar to those previously reported, with the boundary between mild and moderate pain ranging from 3 to 4 and the boundary between moderate and severe pain ranging from 5 to 7. Worst pain cutpoints were most useful in distinguishing patients regarding fatigue, depression, pain's interference with function, and morphine equivalent administered in the previous 24 hours. A substantial proportion of patients experienced moderate to severe pain. The results suggest a narrow boundary between mild and severe pain that interferes with function. The findings indicate that clinicians should seek to aggressively manage postoperative pain ratings greater than 3.