Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Pain has significant socioeconomic, health, and quality-of-life implications. Racial- and ethnic-based differences in the pain care experience have been described. Racial and ethnic minorities tend to be undertreated for pain when compared with non-Hispanic Whites. ⋯ Consistent with the Institute of Medicine's report on health care disparities, racial and ethnic disparities in pain perception, assessment, and treatment were found in all settings (i.e., postoperative, emergency room) and across all types of pain (i.e., acute, cancer, chronic nonmalignant, and experimental). The literature suggests that the sources of pain disparities among racial and ethnic minorities are complex, involving patient (e.g., patient/health care provider communication, attitudes), health care provider (e.g., decision making), and health care system (e.g., access to pain medication) factors. There is a need for improved training for health care providers and educational interventions for patients. A comprehensive pain research agenda is necessary to address pain disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.
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To determine the feasibility and potential efficacy of providing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to older persons with chronic low back pain (CLBP). ⋯ CBT is a feasible treatment for cognitively intact, older persons with CLBP, and may be efficacious as well.
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The present study compared two different approaches for deriving patient profiles on their ability to predict treatment outcome to a pain medicine program for migraine headache. ⋯ This study questions the validity of the MPI subgroup classification algorithm. The results indicate that the K-clustering approach is more useful than the MPI in deriving meaningful patient clusters that differentially predict treatment outcome in a migraine population.
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Comparative Study
The terminal cancer patient: effects of age, gender, and primary tumor site on opioid dose.
The objective of the current study is to describe correlations between age, gender, and primary cancer site and sustained-release opioid doses prescribed for hospice patients at the end of life. ⋯ Both primary tumor site and patient age were associated with final opioid dose. Further investigation is warranted to determine which primary tumor sites are associated with unusually high opioid doses and may highlight the need to optimize adjuvant medication therapy if neuropathic and/or inflammatory pain mechanisms are involved and to refer to pain specialists when appropriate.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of acetylsalicylic acid on sore throat pain and other pain symptoms associated with acute upper respiratory tract infection.
Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has been widely used for over a century to treat pain and fever associated with acute upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), but there is a lack of clinical data to support the efficacy of ASA in this disease state. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of ASA for the treatment of sore throat pain associated with URTI. ⋯ Treatment with ASA was shown to provide relief from sore throat pain, headache, and muscle aches and pains associated with URTI.