Pain research & management : the journal of the Canadian Pain Society = journal de la société canadienne pour le traitement de la douleur
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Pain assessment is an immense challenge for clinicians, especially in the context of the intensive care unit, where the patient is often unable to communicate verbally. Several methods of pain assessment have been proposed to assess pain in this environment. These include both behavioural observation scales and evaluation of physiological measurements such as heart rate and blood pressure. Although numerous validation studies pertaining to behavioural observation scales have been published, several limitations associated with using these measures for pain assessment remain. Over the past few years, researchers have been interested in the use of the bispectral index monitoring system as a proxy for the evaluation of encephalography readings to assess the level of anesthesia and, potentially, analgesia. ⋯ Further studies are needed to clearly demonstrate the relationship between nociceptive stimuli and the bispectral index, as well as the specificity of the bispectral index in detecting pain.
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Developing strategies for coping with chronic pain is an integral part of successfully living with this often debilitating health condition. While gender differences in pain coping strategies have long been investigated, the relationship between gender-specific engagement in coping and associated functioning in individuals experiencing chronic pain is yet to be clearly understood. ⋯ While there is some evidence supporting gender-specific engagement in coping and associated functioning, future research is necessary to expand understanding of these interrelations.
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Developing strategies for coping with chronic pain is an integral part of successfully living with this often debilitating health condition. While gender differences in pain coping strategies have long been investigated, the relationship between gender-specific engagement in coping and associated functioning in individuals experiencing chronic pain is yet to be clearly understood. ⋯ While there is some evidence supporting gender-specific engagement in coping and associated functioning, future research is necessary to expand understanding of these interrelations.