Articles: chronic.
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Although patients may find it difficult to describe their breathing discomfort, most are able to select statements among a list to describe their experience. The primary objective of this study was to examine sensitivity and specificity of descriptors of breathing discomfort prospectively in patients with common respiratory conditions as well as those patients who had refractory dyspnea. ⋯ Although no descriptor achieved satisfactory sensitivity and specificity for identifying a particular condition, chest "tightness" was unique for asthma, whereas "shallow breathing" was unique for interstitial lung disease. Affective descriptors were associated with high anxiety scores.
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Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther · Oct 2015
Practice Guideline[Long-term administration of opioids for non-tumor pain - LONTS guideline provides an orientation].
The long-term usage of opioid analgesics (> 3 months) for chronic, non-cancer related pain is critically discussed nationally and internationally. There are indications of under- and oversupply as well as misuse of opioids in Germany, but an "opioid epidemic" such as is evident in the USA cannot be detected at present. The S3-guideline LONTS (long-term usage of opioid analgesics for non-cancer related pain)serves as an orientation to improve provision of opioids and contains statements about the available evidence, indications and contraindications of use, as well as practical recommendations for managing a long-term opioid therapy.
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An important dimension that influences the quality of life of hemodialysis patients is the pain they experience. Quality of life and self-efficacy in pain can play an important role in chronic kidney disease and treatment outcomes. The purpose of the study was to examine self-efficacy in pain and quality of life among patients with end stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. ⋯ The majority of respondents described the overall quality of life as "moderate," while the self-efficacy in pain depended on comorbidity or complications that accompany the process of hemodialysis. The findings of this study can be used in the development and improvement of health services for the management of patients. Healthcare professionals should understand the concerns and treat the symptoms of patients that affect quality of life, providing thereby holistic health care.
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To determine if patients receiving chronic opioid therapy can be tapered to lower opioid doses without a subsequent increase in pain. ⋯ Patients in the population studied can be successfully tapered to lower opioid doses and may not necessarily experience more pain.
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The relationships among chronic pain, anxiety, and school functioning are complex, and school functioning is often negatively impacted in youth with chronic pain. The objective of this study was to empirically test a model of associations between constructs predicting school functioning in youth with chronic pain to examine the direct effect of anxiety on school attendance and other indicators of school-related disability. ⋯ Anxiety was a robust predictor of school functioning across a range of domains. Evaluating anxiety symptoms in pediatric chronic pain will likely facilitate case conceptualization and treatment planning. This study supports a shift in focus from pain to anxiety as the driving force of school impairment in youth with chronic pain.