Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
-
Observational Study
Alexithymia in a Chinese Patient with Chronic Pain and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Alexithymia is more prevalent among those with patients living with chronic pain. Information on the prevalence of alexithymia in Chinese patients with chronic pain and associated factors is limited. ⋯ Patients with chronic pain exhibiting alexithymia were at higher risk of pain catastrophizing, anxiety, and lower self-efficacy, compared with patients without alexithymia. It is important to identify and pay a special attention in clinical practice to patients with chronic pain exhibiting alexithymia, as these individuals are unable to properly express their emotions.
-
Observational Study
Pain, Anxiety, and Quality of Life of COVID-19 Survivors with Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A cross sectional study.
People who have survived COVID-19 may develop chronic pain. ⋯ After recovering from COVID-19, patients with MPS showed increased pain, anxiety, disability, and decreased quality of life.
-
Observational Study
Chronic Pain and Depression are Increased in Outpatient Adults with Somatic Symptoms from Secondary Health Care Services.
Somatic symptom disorder is described as excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to physical symptoms. The presence of somatic symptoms has been associated with depression, alexithymia, and the presence of chronic pain. Individuals with somatic symptom disorder are frequent attenders of primary health care services. ⋯ In this study, we observed a high frequency of somatic symptoms in outpatients attending secondary health care services. They may be accompanied by comorbid cardiovascular conditions, higher pain intensity, and other mental health-related symptoms, which may aggravate the general clinical picture presented by the patient seeking health care. The presence and severity of somatization should be taken into consideration in the first and second level health care services for an early mental state evaluation and treatment of these outpatients to have a better clinical assessment and health outcome.
-
Review
The Validity of Vital Signs for Pain Assessment in critically Ill Adults: A Narrative Review.
Pain assessment in the intensive care unit (ICU) is challenging because many patients are unable to self-report or exhibit pain-related behaviors. In such situations, vital signs (VS) through continuous monitoring are alternative cues for pain assessment. This review aimed to describe the reliability and validity of VS for ICU pain assessment. ⋯ VS are not valid indicators for ICU pain assessment. Increases of respiratory rate may be a cue for the detection of pain. However, fluctuations in respiratory rate can be influenced by opioids or controlled ventilation mode. Our results dissuade the use of VS for pain assessment because of the lack of association with ICU pain reference standards. Other physiologic measures of pain in critically ill adults should be explored.