Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Weather changes are among the proposed precursors of painful sickle cell crises. However, epidemiologic data are mixed regarding the relationship between ambient temperature and crisis frequency. To study this relationship among a local sickle cell disease population, emergency department (ED) visits and admissions were evaluated in adults with sickle cell crisis as the primary diagnosis at a major teaching hospital in a temperate climate. ⋯ When temperatures were >80 degrees F, the correlations were statistically significant, but there was a reverse, clinically significant correlation between admissions and temperatures. Finally, only statistically significant correlations were found between ED visits or admissions and change in temperature over the prior 24 or 48 hours. Weak or inconsistent confirmation of a relationship was found between daily ambient temperatures and ED visits or hospital admissions for sickle cell crises.
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This study explored family relationships and intimacy of women experiencing chronic pain from the perspective of the women and their family members. A narrative ethnographic qualitative research design was used. Narrative and field data were analyzed using the coding procedure outlined by Strauss aided by the QSR NUD*IST 4 qualitative computer software program. ⋯ Findings of this study indicate that family members' perception is that chronic pain affects important basic relationships and both emotional and physical intimacy. A need exists to relieve some of the suffering that accompanies pain in these women and their families. Based on the study's findings, several treatment strategies are recommended.
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The frequency of painful procedures performed on preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) presents a challenge to nurses who are attempting to provide effective pain relief, and to the infants themselves who may suffer adverse consequences in response to repeated painful procedures. One new pain relief intervention under study is the administration of oral sucrose, which may activate endogenous opioid systems within the body. Studies with preterm infants that have examined the use of oral sucrose as an analgesic during heelsticks and venipunctures have shown that sucrose is effective in reducing pain. ⋯ The use of oral sucrose is now recommended with a wide range of painful procedures in the NICU. Promising results have been observed in studies with both term and preterm infants, but less research has occurred with preterm infants. Additional research is warranted to determine the most effective approaches for the administration of sucrose, to examine the effectiveness of sucrose with additional types of painful procedures, and to examine the effects of long-term repeated use of sucrose.
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Comparative Study
Pain intensity assessment: a comparison of selected pain intensity scales for use in cognitively intact and cognitively impaired African American older adults.
The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of selected pain intensity scales including the Faces Pain Scale (FPS), the Verbal Description Scale, the Numeric Rating Scale, and the Iowa Pain Thermometer to assess pain in cognitively impaired minority older adults. A descriptive correlational design was used, and a convenience sample of 57 volunteers age 58 and older residing in the South was recruited for this study. The sample consisted of 8 males and 49 females with a mean age of 76. ⋯ When asked about scale preference, both the cognitively impaired and the intact group indicated a preference for the FPS. Findings from this study suggest that cognitive impairment did not inhibit older minority participants' ability to use a variety of pain intensity scales. Additionally, options should be provided that address individual needs of older adults considering specific cognitive level and disability, education, gender, ethnicity, and cultural influences concerning perceptions of the various pain intensity scales.
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The purposes of this study were to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of an instrument with nonverbal cues to assess pain in confused older adults, and to describe the differences among selected demographic variables and scores on the pain and confusion measures. The Pain Assessment Tool in Confused Older Adults (PATCOA) was evaluated with 116 cognitively intact older adults undergoing orthopedic surgery. The interrater reliability for each nonverbal cue ranged from 56.5% to 100%, and the Spearman correlations were .16 to 1.00. ⋯ Women reported significantly more pain than did men. No significant gender differences were found regarding the display of nonverbal pain cues and the level of acute confusion, or with race and self-report of pain, display of nonverbal pain cues, or level of confusion. The development and testing of the PATCOA are initial steps that contribute to our knowledge about acute pain assessment in confused older adults.