Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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The study examined the prevalence and relationship between sleep disturbance and chronic pain. Research questions were: (1) What is the prevalence of sleep disturbance in adults with chronic pain, and how does this prevalence compare with healthy and insomniac adults? (2) What is the relationship between sleep disturbance and chronic pain? (3) What is the relationship of patient characteristics to sleep? This descriptive, correlational field study was done at an interdisciplinary pain clinic, sampling 99 adults, and using an 11-point pain scale and a visual analog sleep scale. For every disturbance item, more than 47% of subjects reported a score of 50 or higher, twice as high as those for healthy adults, indicating disrupted sleep. ⋯ Fragmentation was significant on the basis of gender, with men having higher scores than women. Age was a negative predictor of sleep latency. Education and age were negative predictors of the quality of sleep.
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Weather changes are among the proposed precursors of painful sickle cell crises. However, epidemiologic data are mixed regarding the relationship between ambient temperature and crisis frequency. To study this relationship among a local sickle cell disease population, emergency department (ED) visits and admissions were evaluated in adults with sickle cell crisis as the primary diagnosis at a major teaching hospital in a temperate climate. ⋯ When temperatures were >80 degrees F, the correlations were statistically significant, but there was a reverse, clinically significant correlation between admissions and temperatures. Finally, only statistically significant correlations were found between ED visits or admissions and change in temperature over the prior 24 or 48 hours. Weak or inconsistent confirmation of a relationship was found between daily ambient temperatures and ED visits or hospital admissions for sickle cell crises.
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This study explored family relationships and intimacy of women experiencing chronic pain from the perspective of the women and their family members. A narrative ethnographic qualitative research design was used. Narrative and field data were analyzed using the coding procedure outlined by Strauss aided by the QSR NUD*IST 4 qualitative computer software program. ⋯ Findings of this study indicate that family members' perception is that chronic pain affects important basic relationships and both emotional and physical intimacy. A need exists to relieve some of the suffering that accompanies pain in these women and their families. Based on the study's findings, several treatment strategies are recommended.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Music reduces sensation and distress of labor pain.
Labor pain is often severe, and analgesic medication may not be indicated. In this randomized controlled trial we examined the effects of music on sensation and distress of pain in Thai primiparous women during the active phase of labor. The gate control theory of pain was the theoretical framework for this study. ⋯ Distress was significantly lower than sensation in both groups (p <.05). In this controlled study, music--a mild to moderate strength intervention--consistently provided significant relief of severe pain across 3 hours of labor and delayed the increase of affective pain for 1 hour. Nurses can provide soft music to laboring women for greater pain relief during the active phase when contractions are strong and women suffer.
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The frequency of painful procedures performed on preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) presents a challenge to nurses who are attempting to provide effective pain relief, and to the infants themselves who may suffer adverse consequences in response to repeated painful procedures. One new pain relief intervention under study is the administration of oral sucrose, which may activate endogenous opioid systems within the body. Studies with preterm infants that have examined the use of oral sucrose as an analgesic during heelsticks and venipunctures have shown that sucrose is effective in reducing pain. ⋯ The use of oral sucrose is now recommended with a wide range of painful procedures in the NICU. Promising results have been observed in studies with both term and preterm infants, but less research has occurred with preterm infants. Additional research is warranted to determine the most effective approaches for the administration of sucrose, to examine the effectiveness of sucrose with additional types of painful procedures, and to examine the effects of long-term repeated use of sucrose.