Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management Nurses
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Review Case Reports
Management of the hospitalized patient experiencing acute on chronic pain: a case study.
The ability to balance the patient's level of comfort while minimizing adverse outcomes related to overdosing remains the key to providing excellent post operative care for the patient with chronic pain. This article presents the case of a hospitalized patient with severe pain and the challenges her care presented to the nursing staff.
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Chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) is a common and complex disorder associated with declines in physical health and functional status, emotional well-being, and quality of life. To best address the complexity of this condition, research and clinical practice for CNCP should be guided by a framework incorporating both biologic and psychologic factors. This article presents a biobehavioral model of chronic pain that hypothesizes mechanisms related to the effectiveness of a complementary therapy, guided imagery (GI), for this population. ⋯ A biobehavioral approach to nursing phenomena will advance understanding of health and health-related issues and has the potential to improve outcomes through delineation of mechanisms underlying relationships between psychologic and biologic factors. Increased consumer use of complementary therapies to treat pain, the current cost-driven health care system, and the mandate for evidence-based practice support the need to validate the efficacy of such therapies. This empirically derived model provides a framework for practice and research for nurses and other health care providers to promote health, function, and well-being in persons with CNCP.
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Persistent pain is a costly epidemic, affecting >50 million Americans with estimated expenditures of >$200 billion annually for direct care and lost productivity. Recent advances in epigenetic/genomic understanding of pain and analgesic response may lead to improvements in pain management and help curtail costs by providing more precise detection of the pain mechanisms involved and thereby more personalized and effective treatments. However, the translation of epigenetic and genomic strategies for pain management into clinical practice will depend on understanding their potential applications. ⋯ The initial discussion focuses on present understanding of nociceptive pathways and alterations that lead to pathologic pain. The discussion then moves to a review of epigenetic mechanisms that have been identified in the transition to and maintenance of persistent pain as well as in the individual's response to analgesics. Potential applications of epigenetics/genomics to identify people at risk and possibly prevent persistent pain and guide diagnosis and the selection of therapeutic modalities are presented.
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Some patients with chronic pain who are intolerant of or refractory to treatment with systemic analgesics may benefit from intrathecal therapy. Ziconotide is the first nonopioid analgesic approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for intrathecal administration. Several randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of ziconotide. ⋯ Efficacy can be assessed by an evaluation of changes in pain, functionality, and quality of life. Cognitive adverse events may be subtle; therefore, it is important that health care professionals not only monitor patients for signs and symptoms of cognitive adverse events, but also teach family members how to do the same. Careful patient assessment and monitoring can help optimize the potential benefit from treatment with ziconotide.
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Although the experience of being believed is frequently alluded to in chronic pain literature, few studies have specifically explored this phenomenon and even fewer reviews have been offered. This narrative review sought to explore the wider social context in which individuals with chronic pain may experience disbelief toward their pain. Articles were obtained through a search of eight databases and a hand search of the references of full-text papers. ⋯ Finally, disbelief can lead to emotional distress. This can take the form of guilt, depression, and anger. Throughout the article, implications for health care professionals, working with individuals living with chronic pain, are discussed.