Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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This study was conducted to determine the following among a group of female university students: the prevalence of dysmenorrhea; pain severity ratings; methods used to manage dysmenorrhea; and the effect of dysmenorrhea on daily activities, school attendance, and ability to communicate with friends. This cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2009 and February 2010 at a public university located in Istanbul, in the northwest area of Turkey. The study group included 1515 female students. ⋯ Participants who experienced severe pain consulted a physician and that a significant difference existed between the dysmenorrhea rating groups in this regard (p < .001). Severe pain was significantly associated with school absenteeism and limitations in social activities/functioning (p < .001). Dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent among university students and is related to school absenteeism, ability to participate in and enjoy daily activities, and limitations in social activities/functioning.
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Neonates receiving care in intensive care units are highly likely to experience pain due to investigations and/or treatments carried out by the health care providers. Neonates are a vulnerable population because they are unable to vocalize their pain. Unaddressed and mismanaged pain can not only affect the child's comfort, but also may alter the development and cognitive abilities of the child in a later part of his/her life. ⋯ It was concluded that the nurses lack knowledge and that their attitudes also were hindering pain management. One of the barriers identified by the nurses was that physicians do not prescribe analgesics for managing neonatal pain. So not only the nursing staff, but all of the caregivers involved in neonatal care may be lacking in knowledge and hold perceptions and attitudes that hamper neonatal pain management.
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This paper reports a study of the perceptions of nursing staff regarding barriers to postoperative pain management in hip fracture patients with dementia, their expectations, and facilitators offered by their employers to overcome these barriers. Patients with dementia are at high risk for insufficient postoperative pain treatment, mainly owing to inability to articulate or convey their pain experience. Nursing staff have an essential role in the treatment and care of patients who are vulnerable, and therefore unable to advocate for their own pain treatment. ⋯ There were statistically significant differences between the sufficiency of pain management and barriers. Those who expected pain management to be insufficient identified more barriers than those who expected pain management to be sufficient (p < .001). Further updating education for nursing staff in pain detection and management is needed so that nursing staff are also able to recognize behavioral symptoms as potential signs of pain and provide appropriate pain management.
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Patient-related barriers to reporting pain and using analgesics (e.g., fear of addiction) can detrimentally affect pain management for adolescents with cancer. However, adolescent barriers have not been systematically investigated; furthermore, no instrument exists to measure these barriers. The purposes of this study were to examine the psychometric properties of the newly developed Adolescent Barriers Questionnaire (ABQ) and to describe adolescent barriers to pain management. ⋯ The leading barrier was concern that social activities would be restricted if pain was reported. Clearly, adolescents have barriers that can interfere with pain management. Interventions are needed to identify and help adolescents overcome these barriers.
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Neuropathic pain is a complex, chronic, and disabling condition that has physical, functional, and psychosocial repercussions. Although the estimated prevalence of neuropathic pain in the general population ranges from 1.5% to 8%, neuropathic pain is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated. The aims of this study were to examine the experience of patients treated with spinal cord stimulation as a pain-relieving treatment and how this may influence the patient's ability to participate in everyday life activities. ⋯ Spinal cord stimulation also may have disadvantages that should be considered before offering this treatment. It seems evident that extended information needs about working mechanism of SCS and precautions as well as follow-up are required to meet unexpected challenges in adaptation. Here the nurse has an important role when informing and following this patient group.