• Natacha Tailliez, Lucie Planche, Agnès Dorion, Nicolas Kacki, Jérôme Dimet, and Yves-Marie Pluchon.
• Pain Assessment and Treatment Center, Centre Hospitalier Départemental Vendée, La Roche-sur-Yon, France. Electronic address: natacha.tailliez@ght85.fr.
• Pain Manag Nurs. 2024 Nov 11.

PurposeTreatment of localized neuropathic pain continues to represent an unmet need. The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of cryotherapy to reduce the burning pain induced by capsaicin (8%) patches (QUTENZA) in a neuropathic pain cohort. We also investigated subsequent neuropathic pain during an 8-week follow-up.DesignThe present work resulted from a prospective, randomized, two-center, open-label, interventional French trial.MethodsThis study aimed to investigate the effects of cooling of the application area of QUTENZA patches. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were measured 30 and 60 minutes after patch application. Weekly neuropathic VAS scores were then collated for 2 months. Ninety-nine patients were included and randomized into a cryotherapy group (n = 50 [80% women], median age = 51 years old) and a no cryotherapy group (n = 49 [69% women], median age = 48 years old).ResultsCooling at the application site of the patch resulted in a reduction by 3.20 in burning pain VAS score at 60 minutes, with no cooling VAS 6.99 (95% CI [6.2, 7.77]) versus 3.78 (95% CI [3, 4.56]) for cryotherapy. Neuropathic VAS pain scores over the follow-up period were not statistically different.ConclusionsCryotherapy at the application site significantly reduced the burning pain induced by capsaicin patches but had no effect on neuropathic pain for the 8 weeks following application.Clinical ImplicationsThe use of cooling during capsaicin patch application, by ameliorating the therapeutic alliance, improves the clinical management of neuropathic pain. © 20XX by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing.Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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