Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Centrality of pain refers to the degree to which a patient views chronic pain as integral to his or her life or identity. The purpose of this study was to gain a richer understanding of pain centrality from the perspective of patients who live with chronic pain. ⋯ This study highlights centrality of pain as an important construct to consider within the overall patient experience of chronic pain.
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Caregivers’ pain estimations may have important implications for pediatric pain management decisions. Affective responses elicited by facing the child in pain are considered key in understanding caregivers’ estimations of pediatric pain experiences. Theory suggests differential influences of sympathy versus personal distress on pain estimations; yet empirical evidence on the impact of caregivers’ feelings of sympathy versus distress upon estimations of pediatric pain experiences is lacking. The current study explored the role of caregiver distress versus sympathy in understanding caregivers’ pain estimates of the child’s pain experience. ⋯ The current findings highlight the important role of caregivers’ felt personal distress when faced with child pain, rather than sympathy, in influencing their pain estimates. Potential implications for pain management are discussed.
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To determine patients’ perceptions regarding cognitive behavioral pain management programs, and to determine what, if any, strategies learned on the program patients continue to use long-term to manage their pain. ⋯ There was universal positive feedback for the pain management program. Despite the years since they participated in one, patients continue to use key strategies to effectively manage their pain (pacing, relaxation), embedding them in their daily lives to maximize their quality of life.
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In 2015, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was notified of an acute case of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The patient had no traditional HCV risk factors. The only known subcutaneous exposure was health care received at a pain management clinic. ⋯ Health care-associated transmission of HCV likely occurred at an outpatient pain management clinic; possibly the result of multiple patient use of single-dose vials. Because no other cases were discovered this may represent an isolated incident as opposed to a systematic breakdown in infection control standards. This circumstance highlights the need for continued vigilance and adherence to CDC’s Minimum Expectations for Safe Care in Outpatient Settings.