Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Guided Imagery for Adolescent Post-spinal Fusion Pain Management: A Pilot Study.
Orthopedic surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis entails anxiety and severe postoperative pain. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate an intervention for adolescent post-spinal fusion pain management in patients from a tertiary care hospital in Montreal, Canada. Participants were adolescents and young adults ages 11 to 20 years undergoing spinal fusion. ⋯ Addition of a guided imagery and relaxation exercise DVD for home use was more effective than standard care alone for postoperative pain. Our nonpharmacologic adjunct looks promising. Larger sample size and longer (6-9 months) follow-up will permit refinement.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Impact of epidural analgesia on quality of life and pain in advanced cancer patients.
Patients with advanced cancer often experience chronic postoperative pain and poor quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine if epidural self-controlled analgesia reduced the incidence of chronic pain and improved the quality of life when compared with intravenous self-controlled analgesia. A total of 50 patients diagnosed with advanced cancer who received analgesia treatment were randomly divided into two groups, epidural self-controlled analgesia group (EA group, n = 26) and intravenous self-controlled analgesia group (IA group, n = 24). ⋯ The VAS in the EA group was significantly lower than that in the IA group (p < .05), and the Karnofsky score in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the IA group (p < .05). Moreover, patients treated with EA felt more satisfied and experienced fewer complications than those with IA (p < .05). The epidural self-controlled analgesia may greatly improve the quality of life and relieve the pain in patients with advanced cancer.
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Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have reported being stigmatized when they seek care for pain. Nurse attitudes contribute to stigmatization and may affect patients' response to sickle cell cues, care-seeking, and ultimately patient outcomes. ⋯ No significant differences were noted in attitudes by worksite, with nurses from both sites demonstrating high levels of negative attitudes toward patients with SCD. Findings suggest that nurses from both worksites need additional education about SCD and care of this vulnerable, patient population.
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Observational Study
Validity and reliability of a pain location tool for pediatric abdominal surgery.
For children with surgical problems, pain location conveys important clinical information. We developed a Location and Level of Intensity of Postoperative Pain (Lolipops) tool consisting of a body outline with a seven-sector abdominal grid, the International Association for the Study of Pain Revised Faces Pain Scale, and a recording chart. The aim of the study was to assess the validity and reliability of Lolipops. ⋯ In children with perforated appendicitis, Lolipops demonstrated a more widespread pain pattern. Correlations between nurse and investigator were fair to moderate with an overall intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.597. This study presents a new tool to measure the location of pain in pediatric surgical patients and shows it to be valid and reliable.