Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Self-report pain assessment tools are commonly used in clinical settings to determine patients' pain intensity. The Iowa Pain Thermometer (IPT) is a tool that was developed for research, but also can be used in clinical settings. However, its utility in clinical settings is challenging because it uses a 13-point scale (0-12 scale) that does not align with common electronic pain scoring metrics. ⋯ Based on the results of this preliminary study, the IPT-R has good validity and reliability. The participants in this sample preferred the IPT-R over the original IPT (0-12 scale) and the traditional NRS (0-10 scale). Clinicians may consider using this tool with diverse older patients to assess pain intensity.
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Patients undergoing a surgical intervention for the first time are unfamiliar with the perioperative context, and they usually have no knowledge of postoperative pain management. In the preoperative circuit, there is no time to educate the patient in these terms. The professional profile of nurses allows this need to be addressed, and provides a regulated language to evaluate their effectiveness. ⋯ Data were compiled from January to December 2009. Statistically significant differences existed between the two groups regarding postoperative pain (visual analogue scale >3, 20.5% versus 11.5%; p = .023), patient satisfaction (87.1% versus 78.7%; p = .041), and surgical wound complications (13.9% versus 5.5%; p = .010). The results confirm the benefits of applying the nursing methodology in preoperative clinics.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Empowering Patients with Persistent Pain Using an Internet-based Self-Management Program.
New strategies are needed to improve access to cognitive and behavioral therapies for patients with persistent pain. The purpose of this randomized, controlled trial was to determine the effectiveness of the Chronic Pain Management Program, an 8-week online intervention targeting cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social pain determinants. Program efficacy and engagement was evaluated for 92 individuals with a diagnosis of chronic noncancer pain who had a current opioid prescription. ⋯ Engagement level was positively associated with improvements in pain intensity, pain interference, and pain self-efficacy. In conclusion, patients on opioids were able to engage and demonstrate positive outcomes using an Internet-based self-management program. Future efforts toward heightening engagement could further maximize impacts.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Searching for Medical Substances Safe for Mother and Child, Facilitating the Delivery of Pain Management and Decreasing Exhaustion-Evaluation of Obstetric Gel by Pregnant Women.
The aim of the present study was to determine whether applying obstetric gel, a noninvasive method of pain management that is safe both for the mother and the child, during labor influences delivery satisfaction by facilitating pain management and decreasing exhaustion. Forty-seven primiparous women were included in the study: 23 on whom during the delivery gel was used and 24 whose delivery proceeded without the use of a gel (control group). ⋯ There were no significant differences in intensification of pain in the first and second periods of delivery, exhaustion after delivery and intensification of pain in the second period of delivery, and increased anxiety between the study group and the control group. Our results suggest that application of obstetric gel during the first and second period of delivery does not significantly influence women's satisfaction with the course of delivery.
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Registered nurses (RNs) play a pivotal role in treating pain and preventing and recognizing the adverse effects (AEs) of analgesics in patients with dementia. The purpose of this study was to determine RNs' knowledge of potentially clinically relevant AEs of analgesics. A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used. ⋯ Younger RNs had better knowledge of opioid-related AEs (odds ratio [OR] per 1-year increase, 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.94-1.00) and weak opioids (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99). This study provides evidence of a deficiency in RNs' knowledge, especially regarding the adverse renal and cardiovascular effects of NSAIDs. Such lack of knowledge indicates that hospitals may need to update the knowledge of older RNs, especially those who treat vulnerable patients with dementia.