Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Nonprofessional caregivers frequently experience barriers to using analgesics for pain in patients in home hospice settings, and patients in pain may suffer needlessly. For example, caregiver adherence to the administration of analgesics is lower for as-needed (PRN) regimens than for standard around-the-clock regimens. But little is known about the barriers caregivers experience and the effects of those barriers. ⋯ Caregivers adhered to PRN analgesic regimens approximately 51% of the time. Higher caregiver adherence to PRN analgesic regimens was associated with lower patient pain intensity and higher patient QoL, but not, surprisingly, with barriers to pain management. Longitudinal studies are now needed to identify factors besides caregiver barriers that may unduly lower caregiver adherence to PRN analgesic regimens.
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Pain following cardiac intervention in children is a common, but complex phenomenon. Identifying and reporting pain is the responsibility of the nursing staff, who are the primary caregivers and spend the most time with the patients. Inadequately managed pain in children may lead to multiple short- and long-term adverse effects. ⋯ In first (asymptomatic) and second (symptomatic) case scenarios, 78.6% and 59.5% underestimated pain, respectively. Knowledge and attitudes regarding pain and its management is poor among nurses. Targeted training sessions and repeated reinforcement sessions are essential for holistic patient care.
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Observational Study
Validity and reliability of a pain location tool for pediatric abdominal surgery.
For children with surgical problems, pain location conveys important clinical information. We developed a Location and Level of Intensity of Postoperative Pain (Lolipops) tool consisting of a body outline with a seven-sector abdominal grid, the International Association for the Study of Pain Revised Faces Pain Scale, and a recording chart. The aim of the study was to assess the validity and reliability of Lolipops. ⋯ In children with perforated appendicitis, Lolipops demonstrated a more widespread pain pattern. Correlations between nurse and investigator were fair to moderate with an overall intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.597. This study presents a new tool to measure the location of pain in pediatric surgical patients and shows it to be valid and reliable.
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Pain is the most common reason for presentation to the emergency department (ED). On presentation patients expect rapid pain relief, yet this is often not met. Despite extensive improvements in analgesia medication there are still barriers to nurses' assessment, management, documentation, and reassessment of pain. ⋯ This research suggested that nurses would benefit from ongoing education on the usage of opioids. Nurses' attitude regarding patients' right to expect total pain relief as a consequence of treatment was also an issue. ED nurses, by virtue of their role, are in a unique position to be leaders in pain assessment and pain management.
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Pain management for children during bone marrow and stem cell transplantation is a significant clinical challenge for the health care team. Pain management strategies vary by institution. ⋯ This 2-year retrospective chart review examined the pain management practices and outcomes of children undergoing bone marrow and stem cell transplants in a large urban teaching hospital during 2008 and 2009. We concluded that patient- and caregiver-controlled analgesia is a well-tolerated modality for pain control during hospitalization for transplantation at this institution.