Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Cross-sectional studies report that pain in ambulatory HIV-infected individuals is frequent and often undermanaged. Expanding access to HIV treatment in developing countries means that infected individuals are living longer, but there is a dearth of pain-directed studies from developing countries that describe the progression of pain and its treatment over any period of time. The aim of this study was to characterize the progression of pain and its treatment over a 6-month period in 92 ambulatory HIV-positive patients attending an outpatient clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. ⋯ Analgesic use was low at both time points (5% and 25% analgesic use at visit 1 and 2, respectively). Despite the high pain burden, pain interference in daily activities was very low across the period assessed. The burden of pain in this cohort of ambulatory HIV-positive patients was high, but there were significant reductions in pain burden over time.
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This research was planned as a two-level definitive and comparative study to evaluate pain during endotracheal suction (ETS) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). This study was comprised of patients admitted to and the nurses working in the PICU. Cases were selected among PICU patients (N = 65) who met the study criteria and nurses (N = 18) who cared for them from January 1 to July 2, 2008. ⋯ Patients who received bolus doses of analgesia and sedative drugs had lower Wong-Baker faces pain rating (4.38 ± 0.96; n = 4) and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability scores (4.61 ± 1.94; n = 4) (p > .05). According to these findings, the patients were distressed because of the pain related with suction. Therefore, it is recommended that suction guidelines be used in PICUs during ETS.
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Little comparative information exists regarding the reliability and validity of pain rating scales for nurses to assess pain in people with moderate to severe dementia in residential aged care facilities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative psychometric merits of the Abbey Pain Scale, the DOLOPLUS-2 Scale, and the Checklist of Nonverbal Pain Indicators Scale, three well-known pain rating scales that have previously been used to assess pain in nonverbal people with dementia. An observational study design was used. ⋯ This study has provided comparative evidence for the reliability and validity of three pain rating scales in a single sample. These scales are strong, objective adjuncts in making comprehensive assessments of pain in people who are unable to self-report pain due to moderate to severe dementia, with each having their own strengths and weaknesses. The DOLOPLUS-2 Scale provides more reliable measurement, and the Abbey Pain Scale may be better suited than the other two scales for use by nurse raters who only occasionally use pain rating scales or who have lower level nursing qualifications.
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Unrelieved pain is a worldwide health care problem that can lead to unnecessary complications and increased health care expenditure. The aim of this study was to examine nurses' knowledge and attitudes toward pain in Saudi Arabia. A descriptive design was employed using the Nurses' Knowledge and Attitudes Survey regarding pain. ⋯ Nurses demonstrated some misconceived attitudes such as not giving the required dose of morphine to a smiling patient despite the patient being in pain. It is of concern that the findings identified problems of inadequate knowledge and inappropriate attitudes regarding pain assessment and management in Saudi Arabia. Considering these problems, the development of pain programs and policies affecting national and international nurses is highly imperative.