Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur
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Visual images may facilitate the communication of pain during consultations. ⋯ Using images in clinical encounters did not have a negative impact on the consultation, nor did it improve communication or satisfaction. These findings will inform future analysis of behaviour in the video-recorded consultations.
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Evidence in the literature highlights the fact that acute pain in the prehospital setting remains poorly managed. Morphine remains the most commonly used analgesic agent in the South African prehospital emergency care setting. Although guidelines and protocols relating to the dosage and administration of morphine exist, little data are available describing its use by South African paramedics. ⋯ Failure to administer an appropriate bolus or 'loading dose' when administering morphine intravenously may result in ineffective and delayed pain management. The authors recommend more clearly defined protocols be developed to guide the use of morphine sulphate by paramedics in the local emergency medical services environment.
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Back pain (BP) has often been associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), which is a three-dimensional deviation of the vertebral column. In adolescents, chronic pain appears to be a predictor of health care utilization and has a negative impact on physical, psychological and family well-being. In this population, BP tends to be persistent and may be a predictor of BP in adulthood. ⋯ The prevalence of BP was moderately high among the present sample of adolescents with AIS. An improved system for documenting BP assessment, type, treatment plan and treatment effectiveness would improve pain management for these patients.
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Observational Study
Continuous assessment of labour pain using handgrip force.
Assessment of dynamic changes in painful experiences, such as labour, using conventional rating scales (eg, numerical rating scale [NRS]) has limitations. An alternative for continuous pain evaluation could be a signal generated by voluntary action of the parturient. Remifentanil administration for obstetric analgesia could be improved by these dynamic measures of labour pain. In the present study, handgrip force was measured by a dynamometer to signal labour pain. ⋯ Pain intensity and duration can be assessed continuously using handgrip force measured via a dynamometer. The feedback of intensity and duration of pain could optimize patient-controlled remifentantil application for obstetric analgesia and other situations of highly variable pain intensity.