Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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To translate the original English version of the Profile of Chronic Pain: Screen (PCP:S) into Brazilian Portuguese and examine basic psychometric properties of the translated version. We investigated ceiling and floor effects, internal consistency, factor structure, convergent validity, and the ability of the Brazilian PCP:S (B-PCP:S) to discriminate persons with pain who were either employed or not working, or in treatment or not in treatment. ⋯ This B-PCP:S version was found to be a reliable instrument, with basic evidence of validity for the evaluation of pain severity, interference, and emotional burden in Brazilian Portuguese adults. The profile of B-PCP:S scores was similar to that observed in the original version.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A feasibility study of transdermal buprenorphine versus transdermal fentanyl in the long-term management of persistent non-cancer pain.
Buprenorphine and fentanyl transdermal patches are used widely for the management of persistent malignant and nonmalignant pain. Buprenorphine and fentanyl transdermal patches, both potent opioids, are considered to be equally efficacious in managing persistent pain. Various retrospective studies comparing dosage changes of buprenorphine and fentanyl patches in persistent pain patients have been completed; however, no long-term prospective, randomized, clinical study has compared the effectiveness of these patches. The objective of the present study was to satisfy this need. ⋯ Thirty percent of the total number of patients discontinued treatment because of side effects or unsatisfactory pain relief. For those continuing treatment, clinical improvements were seen in the initial 6 months in both groups. Fifty percent of the TDB and 43% of TDF groups had significant relief in 3 months, which persisted up to 6 months. Only 11% and 13% of patients, respectively, had sustained relief after 6 months. Twenty percent more patients in the TDB group benefited significantly in symptoms of depression from TDB compared with the TDF group. Interestingly, switching of patches seemed to increase acceptability by preventing adverse effects and tolerance. Confirmation of these effects should be studied in future with a multicenter study and larger sample.