Optimizing pain management in elderly patients post-knee surgery:A novel collaborative strategy

Total knee replacement,a common surgery among the elderly primarily necessitated by osteoarthritis,replaces the damaged knee joint with an artificial one.Given the aging population and the increasing prevalence of such surgeries,the article highlights the critical need for effective postoperative care strategies.This editorial provides an overview of rehabilitation care for pain in elderly knee replacement patients,emphasizing the importance of a multimodal approach to postoperative recovery.Furthermore,the article advocates for a patient-centered,comprehensive rehabilitation regimen that enhances recovery and quality of life in elderly patients undergoing knee replacement surgery.

Drugs used for pain management in gastrointestinal surgery and their implications

Pain is the predominant symptom troubling patients.Pain management is one of the most important aspects in the management of surgical patients leading to early recovery from surgical procedures or in patients with chronic diseases or malignancy.Various groups of drugs are used for dealing with this;however,they have their own implications in the form of adverse effects and dependence.In this article,we review the concerns of different pain-relieving medicines used postoperatively in gastrointestinal surgery and for malignant and chronic diseases.

Pain Management in Pediatric Nursing

Children often experience pain in different stage of life. After birth, newborns are exposed to many painful attempts and their anxiety levels increase with it. These painful attempts lead to metabolic or physiological problems in newborns. Excessive protein expenditure when exposed to pain for a long time, electrolyte inhalation, weakening of the immune system. Even repetitive painful procedures increase mortality and morbidity. Children experience pain due to acute onset diseases such as otitis media or pharyngitis and also in different medical interventions such vaccination, blood transfusion, vascular access, dressing change, lumber punching, or sickle cell anemia. Appropriate assessment scales should be used to treat pain effectively and adequately. Pharmacological treatment as well as non-pharmacological treatment methods has been found to be effective in the treatment of pain. Non-pharmacological methods allow your body to release natural endorphins and help to lift the pain to a minimum level or completely. In this study, current approaches and studies about pain in children will be presented. Non-pharmacological methods will be examined in more detail. Every child has right to live a painless life. It is one of the main purposes of nursing care to relieve children’s pain and improve their life quality.

Nonpharmacological pain management practices among nurses working in multiple centers in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Objective:The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence,and determinants,of nonpharmacological pain management practices among nurses in multiple settings.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional examination was conducted involving 324 nurses from 16 hospitals in Hai’l,Saudi Arabia.Participants completed a self-reported survey utilizing established tools to assess the frequency of nonpharmacological pain management interventions utilization and identify associated barriers.Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 29.0.Results:Nonpharmacological pain management practices were found to be utilized“sometimes,”with a score of 2.89±0.48.Commonly employed techniques included placing patients in comfortable positions and providing a tranquil environment.Gender was the sole demographic factor significantly affecting the use of these techniques(P<0.001),with female nurses demonstrating higher utilization.Barriers to implementation varied based on the hours of recent pain management education(P=0.004),with prevalent barriers including nurse shortages,multiple responsibilities,heavy workloads,and nurse fatigue.Conclusion:The study reveals moderate utilization of nonpharmacological pain management approaches,primarily focusing on patient positioning and creating a calm environment.Female nurses exhibited higher adoption rates of these techniques.Barriers to implementation,such as nurse shortages and heavy workloads,were influenced by recent pain management education.Consequently,enhancing education and fostering supportive work environments are crucial for surmounting these barriers and promoting pain management awareness among nurses.

Attitudes towards pain management in hospitalized cancer patients and their influencing factors

Objective： To investigate patients＇ attitudes towards cancer pain management and analyze the factors influencing these attitudes.Methods： The self-developed Demographic and Disease-Related Information Questionnaires, Pain Management Barriers Questionnaire-Taiwan form（BQT）, and Pain Knowledge Questionnaire were administered to 363 pairs of hospitalized cancer patients and their caregivers from the oncology departments of 7 hospitals in Beijing, China.Results： The average patient score for attitudes towards pain management was 2.96±0.49. The dimension scores indicated good attitudes in three areas（scores 〈2.5）, ＂Desire to be good＂（2.22±1.04）, ＂Fatalism＂（2.08±0.81） and＂Religious fatalism＂（1.86±1.00）, and poor attitudes in six areas（scores ≥2.5）, ＂Tolerance＂（3.83±0.96）, ＂Use of analgesics as needed（p.r.n.）＂（3.73±1.01）, ＂Addiction＂（3.44±1.05）, ＂Disease progression＂（3.28±1.26）, ＂Distraction of physicians＂（3.16±1.07） and ＂Side effects＂（2.99±0.68）. Two factors were entered into the regression equation：the caregivers＇ attitudes towards cancer pain management and the patients＇ pain knowledge. These two factors explained 23.2% of the total variance in the patients＇ average scores for their attitudes towards cancer pain management.Conclusions： The patients＇ attitudes towards cancer pain management were poor and could be influenced by the caregivers＇ attitudes and the patients＇ pain knowledge, and thus need to be improved.

Pain management in chronic pancreatitis incorporating safe opioid practices: Challenge accepted

Patients with chronic pancreatitis often experience severe,unrelenting abdominal pain,which can significantly impact their quality of life.Pain control,therefore,remains central to the overall management of chronic pancreatitis.Most of the strategies aimed at treating the pain of chronic pancreatitis are based on expert opinion and vary from one institution to another,as there are no uniform guidelines to direct a stepwise approach towards achieving this goal.In this editorial,we comment on best practice strategies targeted towards pain control in chronic pancreatitis,specifically highlighting the use of opioid medications in this patient population.We discuss various safe and efficacious prescription monitoring practices in this article.

Implementation and evaluation of a pain management core competency education program for surgical nurses

Objective:To investigate the effect of a pain management core competency education program on surgical nurses’pain knowledge and pain management nursing practice behaviors.Methods:An 8-h education program focused on pain management core competency was provided twice in two weeks including the multidimensional nature of pain,pain assessment,pharmacological and nonpharmacological management,and knowledge application was developed and implemented for surgical nurses by a multidisciplinary team.Multimodal teaching approaches such as didactic teaching and vignettes of cases for nurses to discuss were used.The Clinical Pain Knowledge Test(CPKT)was completed by 135 and 107 nurses from 17 surgical wards pre and post-program,respectively.Two hundred and three patients’medical records were randomly sampled according to the number of operations in each ward one week before and in the fifth week after the intervention,respectively.Documentation of patients’postoperative pain management nursing practice behaviors and pain intensity scores were collected.Results:After the intervention,the CPKT scores of nurses significantly increased from 45.6%±12.3%to 54.2%±10.2%(t=5.786,P<0.001).Nurses’postoperative pain management nursing practice improved,with proportion of pain assessment documentation increased from 59.6%(121/203)to 74.9%(152/203)(χ^(2)=10.746,P=0.001),those using pain intensity assessment tools increased from 81.8%(99/121)to 95.4%(145/152)(χ^(2)=13.079,P<0.001),and intramuscular injection of nonopioids decreased from 12.6%(13/103)to 2.7%(3/111)(χ^(2)=7.598,P=0.006).Patients’average worst pain score on the operation day significantly decreased(Z=-2.486,P=0.013),and scores from the first to the third postoperative day also decreased(Z=-2.172,P=0.030).Conclusions:Implementation of a pain management core competency education program for surgical nurses can increase their knowledge of core competencies of pain management,improve selected pain management practices,and decrease patients’postoperative pain intensity.

Evaluation of Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block in Total Knee Arthroplasty Post-Operative Pain Management

Total knee arthroplasty （TKA） can contribute to significant pain for the patient. Continuous peripheral nerve blocks （CPNBs） have been shown to be efficacious in treating post-surgical pain. The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy of a bupivacaine 0.2% solution administered via CPNB plus standard of care （SOC） compared to SOC alone. SOC for this institution includes the use of opioid analgesics, non-opioid analgesics, regional anesthesia, and other adjuncts. The primary outcome is the overall use of post-operative pain medication. Secondary outcomes include the average length of stay and average pain scores. Methods： A data surveillance system was used to retrospectively identify all patients who underwent TKA with and without the use of CPNB. To be included, patients must have been male or female ≥ 18 years of age who underwent TKA from September 2016 through September 2017. And 70 patients were included in both the CPNB and SOC groups. A retrospective chart review determined the following data： The types and amounts of pain medications used, the length of stay, and patient-reported pain scores. Results： There was an increase in the amount of as needed pain medication use in the CPNB ＋ SOC vs. SOC group with 12.97 administrations vs. 12.67 administrations respectively. Length of stay was increased in the CPNB ＋ SOC vs. SOC group with 3.65 days in the CPNB ＋ SOC group vs. 3.5 days in the SOC group. Pain scores were increased in the CPNB ＋ SOC group with a patient average pain score of 4.5 vs. the SOC groups average pain score of 4.4. Conclusions： The use of a 0.2% bupivacaine solution administered via CPNB in addition to SOC resulted in increased utilization of as needed pain medication administration, increased average length of stay, and increased average pain scores when compared to SOC alone.

Pain management using Han’s acupoint nerve stimulator combined with patient-controlled analgesia following neurosurgery A randomized case control study

BACKGROUND： Han＇s acupoint nerve stimulator （HANS） has been frequently used to relieve pain by promoting the central nerve system＇s release of endogenous opioid peptides through electric stimulation to the body surface. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the pain-relieving effects of HANS, combined with patient-controlled analgesia, following neurosurgery, and to observe adverse reactions and effects. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized control observation was performed at the Department of Neurology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College （Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China） from January 2005 to February 2006. PARTICIPANTS： Forty patients, who were selected for craniotomy and required pain relief following surgery at the Department of Neurology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical College （China）, were included in this study. METHODS： Forty patients underwent neurosurgery and were randomly divided into two groups： patient-controlled analgesia plus HANS （＋HANS, n = 20） and patient-controlled analgesia （-HANS, n = 20）. Both groups were well matched in baseline data. Automatic syringe infusion pump ZZB-150 was the product of Nantong Aipeng Medical Instruments Co., Ltd. （China）. Patient-controlled analgesia consisted of 100 mL 0.02% lappaconitine/0.02% metoclopramide. LH-402 HANS instrument was produced in Beijing （China）, with a serial number of 402183. The HANS instrumentation was used to stimulate the Hegu-Laogong acupoint on one side and Jiaogan, Shenmen penetrating Shen, Waifei, Naogan penetrating Pizhixia ear acupoints on the affected side for one hour, with 2-hour intervals. The disperse-dense wave was alternating, with a 2/100 Hz frequency of electrical stimulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE： The scores of visual analogue scale and incidence of adverse reaction were observed in two groups following surgery. RESULTS： Compared with the HANS group, the visual analogue scale scores were remarkably lower in the ＋HANS group six hours after surgery （P 〈 0.01）, and the incidence rate of adverse reactions, such as nausea and vomiting, was also decreased （P 〈 0.05）.CONCLUSION： The application of HANS to induce body surface stimulation can enhance the effect of pain relief and reduce adverse reactions when used in combination with patient-controlled analgesia following neurosurgery. The effect of combined therapy is superior to patient-controlled analgesia alone.

A survey of advanced medical students’ knowledge towards cancer pain management

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate advanced medical students' knowledge towards cancer pain management, and understand the effect of specialisms and duration of oncology rotation on the advanced medical students' cognitive level towards cancer pain management. Methods: Randomly selected the respondents from a medical school in Wuhan, China. The educational background of the respondents should belong to one of these conditions: (1) clinical master degree candidate; (2) clinical doctor degree candidate; (3) the sixth or seventh year of clinical medicine for seven years. The respondents should also spend more than one year on internship. The self-developed questionnaire papers were distributed to respondents in the unit of dorms selected randomly and recovered them immediately after they're finished. The categori- cal data were expressed at the form of frequency (rate or constituent ratio). Chi-square test was required only as needed. Results: The survey was anonymous. We distributed 300 papers, recovered 300 papers and weeded out 8 invalid papers. Finally there were 292 valid papers, and the valid recovery rate was 97.3%. The 96.7% of oncological medical students and 47.6% non-oncological medical students relied on patients' description for cancer pain assessments; 90.0% of oncological medical students and 53.0% of non-oncological medical students prescribed strong opioid drugs firstly for patients suffering severe cancer pain; only 24.1% of non-oncological medical students recognized that pethidine was not safe and effective to treat cancer pain, which was much lower than oncological medical students (90.0%); 73.3% of oncological medical students and 28.9% of non-oncological medical students had the correct impression of drug addiction; 85.5% of non-oncological medi- cal students worried about the drug addiction, while 60.0% of oncological medical students worried about the strict control over opioid. In respect of the details of cancer pain management, only 66.7% of oncological medical students recognized that there was no upper limit of opioid prescribed clinically, and 16.3% of oncological medical students recognized that there was no psychological dependence if patients took opioid orally. The 69.8% of the students from no-less-than-two-week group relied on patients' description for cancer pain assessments, 76.7% prescribed strong opioid drugs firstly for patients suffer- ing severe cancer pain, 69.8% recognized that pethidine was not safe and effective to treat cancer pain, and 55.8% had the correct impression of drug addiction. All of the data were higher than that in no-rotation group and that in less-than-two-week group. The 51.2% of the students from no-less-than-two-week worried about drug addiction, which was the lowest of all. Conclusion: The cognitive level of advanced medical students towards cancer pain management is so low that it could not satisfy the clinical requirement, especially for the non-oncological medical students and the students spending little time on oncology rotation. Though the oncological medical students know something about cancer pain treatment, they know little about the details.

Midwives’ utilization of nonpharmacological pain relief measures for labor pain management: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Objectives:This study sought to examine midwives’utilization of nonpharmacological pain relief measures in labor pain management and to test the relationship between midwives’knowledge and utilization of nonpharmacological pain relief measures for labor pain management in secondary health facility in Calabar,Cross River State,Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for the study.The study was rooted in Katherine Kolcaba’s Comfort theory.Totally,67 participants were recruited for the study using the purposive sampling technique.A self-made structured questionnaire was used to obtain participants’information on knowledge,utilization,and predictors of nonpharmacological pain relief measures.Results:Although 41(61.2%)of the participants had knowledge about nonpharmacological pain relief measures,few did not know some of the cognitive-behavioral and environmental measures in labor pain management.There was 35.8%(24/67)for utilization of cognitive-behavioral measures and 55.2%(37/67)for psychological/emotional measures for labor pain management by respondents,respectively.Fifty(74.6%)of respondents agreed that predictors such as lack of knowledge,lack of updates and training,work experience,best practice guidelines,and equipment were hindrances to utilization.There was statistically significance in relationship between the level of knowledge and utilization of nonpharmacological pain relief measures(r=0.6,P<0.05).Conclusion:The utilization of nonpharmacological measures for labor pain management is low,thus it is recommended that frequent education,training updates on effective labor pain management,provision of clinical guidelines on labor pain management,and enrichment of midwifery training curriculum are imperative to ensure quality labor pain management and positive health outcome.

Non-pharmaceutical intervention and pain management situation for neonatal analgesia

Neonatal pain management is an important issue which should have great attention.More and more researches have proved that neonates can feel pain when undergoes painful procedures such as vaccination,heel stick,and so on,and it will result in shortterm and long-term outcomes.So it is very important to manage neonatal pain.This article summarized some non-pharmaceutical interventions,including sucrose or glucose,non-nutritional sucking(NNS),breastfeeding,facilitated tucking(FT),kangaroo mother care(KMC),swaddling,heel warming,sensorial saturation(SS),and music therapy,which showed obvious effects for neonatal pain.In addition,this article summarized the progress of neonatal pain intervention in various countries and showed that many countries have not paid enough attention to this problem,while some countries have carried out promotion programs for neonatal pain management which give some clinical enlightenment to our country that we need to pay more attention to this problem.

Inter-Professional-Compassionate pain management during endotracheal suctioning: a valuable lesson from a Chinese surgical intensive care unit

Objective:To compare the effects of a pain management program and routine suctioning methods on the level of pain presence and agitation in Chinese adults admitted to the intensive care unit.To disseminate the results from the implementation of the evidence-informed pain management interventions for reducing pain presence and agitation during endotracheal tube suctioning(ETS)and translate the key finding to clinical nursing practice.Methods:A quasi-experimental study of a two-group post-test design was conducted in adults admitted after surgery to a surgical intensive care unit(SICU)of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University,Yunnan,China in 2018.Fifty-two adults who met the study eligibility were included after consent,26 in each group.Patients in the control group received usual care while patients in the intervention group received interventions to reduce agitation and pain-related ETS.The impacts of the intervention on the level of pain presence and agitation were measured at 5 measuring time points using the Chinese versions of Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool(CPOT)and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale(RASS).Results:The level of pain presence in the intervention group statistically significantly decreased during,immediately after,and 5 min after suctioning.The level of agitation in the intervention group significantly decreased during and immediately after suctioning.Conclusions:The findings provide support for the positive pain-relieving effects of the evidence-informed pain-related ETS management interventions when compared with the usual ETS practice.The study interventions were sufficiently effective and safe to maintain patent airway clean and patent as standardized suctioning and helps pain relief.So,evidence-based pain-related ETS management intervention is worthy of recommending to utilize in SICU patients as well as other patients who required suctioning.It is worth noting that integrating pre-emptive analgesia prescription and administration with non-pharmacological intervention plays a critical role in achieving pain relief.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Nurses Working at King Abdulaziz University Hospital toward Cancer Pain Management

Objective: This survey aims to identify the levels of knowledge and attitudes among nurses regarding cancer pain management. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was undertaken at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, between September 4 and September 27, 2015. The survey instrument was a pre-set questionnaire comprising 39 closed-ended format questions. Participants were asked questions to assess their knowledge and attitudes about cancer pain management and adherence to frequent misconceptions regarding opioid therapy. The chi-square test was used to compare differences between variables. Results: One hundred twenty-eight questionnaires were completed and analyzed. A mean sample score of 41.3% was achieved on pain-related knowledge questions. The average score on all 39 questions was 16.1 ± 4.6 (range, 0 - 24). Nurses on the male medical ward were most knowledgeable compared with those on other wards (p p p p p = 0.002). Conclusion: Optimization of inpatient supportive procedures should be a specific task at King Abdulaziz University Hospital until an oncology unit with nurses specialized in cancer care is established.

Narrative Approach for Identifying Movements of Change and the Value of Therapeutic Writing Related to Chronic Pain Management

In this study, we examined extensive narratives prepared by participants who attended a chronic pain management programme where therapeutic writing was included. The aim was to explore how narrators experience the contexts in which their lives unfold following a cognitive behavioural programme. The analysis was based on a three-sphere model for context analysis, which referred to the contexts in which the narrators located their life stories: their immediate inter-subjective relationships, the collective social field, and broad cultural meaning. We identified important change processes related to adaptation. Our examination of the experience of therapeutic writing clearly indicated that therapeutic writing is helpful. We suggest that obtaining a better understanding of living with chronic pain through storytelling as part of therapeutic writing and using a three-sphere model for context analysis could improve understanding and approaches to nursing. Health carers should organize care around the experience of illness and its inter-subjective, social, and cultural consequences, which may provide a deeper understanding of identity and the core themes embedded in life stories.

Postoperative pain assessment and management among nurses in selected hospitals in Benin City,Edo State,Nigeria

Objective:This study was designed to determine the nurse assessment of postoperative pain and its management in selected hospitals,Benin City,Edo State,Nigeria.Materials and Methods:A descriptive cross-sectional survey was adopted.The target population consist of 222 purposely nurses who are in the cadre of nursing officer II to chief nursing officer who works in the various surgical wards/units of the selected health facilities.The data were collected from the participants using the pretested structured questionnaire developed by the researcher.Results:Results showed that 66.2%of nurses had a poor level of knowledge on postoperative pain assessment.The McGill Pain Questionnaire was the most used pain assessment tool with a mean score of 2.84 whereas the Dallas Pain Questionnaire was the least used with a mean score of 1.90.“Providing clean,calm,and well-ventilated ward environment”(3.69±0.61)was the most used nonpharmacological method for postoperative pain management,followed by“distraction,relaxation,and guided imagery”(3.52±0.50),“dressing,bandage,splint,and reinforce wound sites postoperatively”(3.39±0.54),and“early ambulation/exercise”(3.20±0.62).The most used pharmacological interventions were“acetaminophen”(3.63±0.55),“topical anesthetic”(2.92±0.62),“nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs”(2.87±0.43),and“mixed opioid agonist-antagonist”(2.56±0.56).Conclusion:There is a poor level of knowledge on postoperative pain assessment among nurses in this study setting.It is,therefore,pertinent for hospitals to organize continuous in-service training for postoperative pain assessment and management,especially on nonpharmacological approaches among nurses.

Enhancing perianal disease management with integrated physical and psychological approaches

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the study by Hou et al,focusing on the complex interplay between psychological and physical factors in the postoperative recovery(POR)of patients with perianal diseases.The study sheds light on how illness perception,anxiety,and depression significantly influence recovery outcomes.Hou et al developed a predictive model that demonstrated high accuracy in identifying patients at risk of poor recovery.The article explores the critical role of pre-operative psychological assessment,highlighting the need for mental health support and personalized recovery plans in enhancing POR quality.A multidisciplinary approach,integrating mental health professionals with surgeons,anesthesiologists,and other specialists,is emphasized to ensure comprehensive care for patients.The study’s findings serve as a call to integrate psychological care into surgical practice to optimize outcomes for patients with perianal diseases.

Botulinum toxin type A for treating chronic low back pain:A double blinded randomized control study

BACKGROUND Low back pain(LBP)is a prevalent issue that orthopedic surgeons frequently address in the outpatient setting.LBP can arise from various causes,with stiffness in the paraspinal muscles being a notable contributor.The administration of Botulinum toxin type A(BoNT-A)has been found to alleviate back pain by relaxing these stiff muscles.While BoNT-A is approved for use in numerous conditions,a limited number of randomized clinical trials(RCTs)validate its efficacy specifically for treating LBP.AIM To study the safety and the efficacy of BoNT-A in minimizing pain and improving functional outcomes in patients of chronic LBP(CLBP).METHODS In this RCT,adults aged 18-60 years with mechanical LBP persisting for at least six months were enrolled.Participants were allocated to either the Drug group,receiving 200 Ipsen Units(2 mL)of BoNT-A,or the Control group,which received a 2 mL placebo.Over a 2-month follow-up period,both groups were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale(VAS)for pain intensity and the Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)for disability at the start and conclusion of the study.A decrease in pain by 50%was deemed clinically significant.RESULTS The study followed 40 patients for two months,with 20 in each group.A clinically significant reduction in pain was observed in 36 participants.There was a statistically significant decrease in both VAS and ODI scores in the groups at the end of two months.Nonetheless,when comparing the mean score changes,only the reduction in ODI scores(15 in the placebo group vs 16.5 in the drug group,clinically insignificant)was statistically significant(P=0.012),whereas the change in mean VAS scores was not significant(P=0.45).CONCLUSION The study concludes that BoNT-A does not offer a short-term advantage over placebo in reducing pain or improving LBP scores in CLBP patients.

Galvanic Skin Response—Extinction Biofeedback Training for Psychogenic Abdominal Pain: A Validation Protocol

Abdominal and pelvic pain of psychogenic origin is a widespread, disabling, difficult to identify, and often inadequately treated medical condition. This condition is often associated with poor quality of life due to high pain interference with daily activities. Cognitive behavioral psychological therapy and neuromodulation with biofeedback are validated therapies for the treatment of this condition. Aim of the present research work is the validation of a therapeutic protocol that involves the use of both techniques in combination. 20 patients diagnosed with psychogenic abdominal pain, of both sexes, aged between 18 and 60 years who had not benefited from pharmacological therapies were enrolled. 10 patients were randomly assigned to the control group (psychological treatment only), another 10 patients were assigned to the study group (neuromodulation with biofeedback-Galvanic skin response-extinction in combination with psychological therapy). For both groups, the pain score, interference of pain with daily living activities, pain relief, and the share of anxiety associated with the pain condition were evaluated (pre- and post-treatment). The patients who underwent the combined treatment achieved statistically significant better scores than patients in the control group, respectively −4.9 ± 0.9 vs −1.0 ± 0.4 for Pain;−5.1 ± 1.1 vs −0.9 ± 0.3 for Interference with life;−7.2 ± 3.7 vs −2.2 ± 2.1 for HAMA;4.6 ± 1.2 vs 1.1 ± 0.6 for Relief.

Transdermal Fentanyl for Management of Cancer Pain in Elderly Patients in China

Objective: Objective: To assess the effect and adverse effects of transdermal fentanyl for elderly patients with cancer pain in China. Methods: A total of 1664 elderly patients (aged 65-90 with mean age of 72.6) with cancer pain enrolled in the multicenter study from 136 institutes in China. Of them, 408 (28.8%) patients were 75 years old or older. All patients received transdermal fentanyl for the management of cancer pain. The patients were asked to record the attacks of pain, quality of life, and any side effects of the treatment. Results: Baseline mean of pain intensity was 7.34. On day 1, 3, 6, 9 15, and 30, the pain mean scores were decreased to 3.82, 2.80, 2.43, 2.11, 1.83, 1.64 (P=0.000). The effective rate was 97.18%. The mean doses of fentanyl was 31.34 g/h (25-150 g/h) initially, and 40.59 g/h and 47.50 g/h (25-200 g/h) at day 15 and day 30. At treatment day 15, the dose of fentanyl was ranger from 25 to 50 g/h in 91.8% of patients, 75 to 100 g/h in 7.5% patients, and 125 to 200 g/h only in 0.8% patients. The fine quality of life was in 25.4% patients before treatment, and was 71.15% and 73.04% at day 15 and day 30 respectively (P=0.0000). The common side effects were constipation (10.70%), nausea (11.96%), dizzy (6.85%), vomiting (3.85%), sedation (2.40%), Respiratory depression (0.12%). 86.2% patients preferred continue treated by transdermal fentanyl. Conclusions: Transdermal fentanyl for the elderly with cancer pain is effective, safe, convenient, and can improve the quality of life. Transdermal fentanyl can be recommended as a first-line drug for the treatment of elderly patients with moderate to severe cancer pain, and the initial doses is recommended as 25 g/h.