Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Review Comparative Study
Diagnosing neuropathic pain in patients with cancer: comparative analysis of recommendations in national guidelines from European countries.
Neuropathic pain is a prevalent symptom in patients with cancer, which needs a more specific algorithm than nociceptive pain or neuropathic pain from other origin. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) can be helpful in optimizing the diagnosis of neuropathic pain in patients with cancer. ⋯ This work demonstrates an important heterogeneity between European recommendations on diagnosis and assessment of neuropathic pain in patients with cancer. The main weaknesses are the low level of evidence and the absence of specific data focusing on neuropathic pain in patients with cancer. We recommend that physicians dealing with neuropathic pain in patients with cancer should be specially trained, that a specific methodology to develop CPGs should followed, and that specific research should be developed on the diagnosis of neuropathic pain in patients with cancer.
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Pain is a comorbid and aggravating symptom that in many conditions can be perceived differently and should therefore be managed accordingly. Numerous factors, both social and cultural, are thought to influence the analgesic prescription. However, elucidation of such areas is limited. We therefore conducted a systematic literature review to test the hypothesis that variations in provider characteristics predict the prescription of pain medication. ⋯ Our systematic review of existing literature highlights that provider's age, sex, experience, specialty, and the interplay between provider and patient characteristics are important variables in pain management. However, generalizations relating to these findings are limited by the heterogeneity of the studies and the paucity of literature in this field.