Articles: pain-management.
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Pain self-management is a key ingredient in chronic pain management. Peer support has been shown to be effective in helping patients self-manage other chronic conditions and may be a promising approach to implementing pain self-management programs more broadly without placing additional demands on clinicians. The Evaluation of a Peer Coach-Led Intervention to Improve Pain Symptoms (ECLIPSE) trial tested peer-supported chronic pain self-management. Although peers may be paid staff or volunteers, the ECLIPSE intervention was delivered by volunteer peer coaches, to test a low-resource model that could be easily implemented if effective. Trial results showed no statistically significant differences between intervention and control participants on key outcomes, and intervention adherence was low. ⋯ Participants described benefitting from the ECLIPSE intervention. Challenges, mostly related to engagement, were also described and may help explain trial results. The low-resource nature of the intervention may have exacerbated these difficulties. Volunteer coaches typically receive less training than paid peers and may have been less prepared to handle challenges; moreover, as volunteers, peer coaches likely had competing demands that left less time for coaching. Future research should seek to identify whom to target for peer-led versus other types of interventions to maximize benefit and use of resources.
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Evidence on patient experiences with pain in hospitals and its impact on post-discharge outcomes is limited. This study investigated the prevalence of pain in hospitals, patient characteristics associated with pain management adequacy, and the link between pain experiences, care ratings, readmission and emergency department visits after discharge. ⋯ This study highlights the importance of adequate pain management in patients' perception of care and recovery outcomes, especially among culturally and linguistically diverse patients.
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Postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) is a chronic condition that significantly impacts breast cancer survivors, marked by persistent neuropathic pain that is often unresponsive to conventional therapies. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has emerged as a promising intervention for managing this type of pain. This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of SCS in managing PMPS and identify patient-specific factors impacting treatment outcomes. ⋯ SCS is an effective treatment for PMPS, with age, BMI, psychologic treatments, and prior radiotherapy being significant predictors of outcomes. Tailoring treatment plans to these factors can potentially enhance pain management for patients with PMPS.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2024
Recurrent intrathecal catheter-tip granuloma formation on a replaced system delivering low dose/concentration fentanyl and bupivacaine: a case report.
Intrathecal drug delivery (IDD) is a well-established treatment modality for refractory chronic pain. Intrathecal catheter-tip granuloma (ICTG) formation is a known possible complication of opiate IDD and is likely triggered by mast cell degranulation. The use of low concentration and dosage of opioids that do not induce mast cell degranulation has been advised to mitigate the risk of ICTG formation. ⋯ ICTG formation is uncommon but can be a devastating complication of IDD if not properly diagnosed in a timely fashion. Repeat ICTG has only been documented twice in the literature, and ICTG with low dose fentanyl in combination with bupivacaine has not been reported. Despite using regimens and techniques to reduce the risk of ICTG formation, one must judiciously surveil their patients for the dreaded ICTG complication.