Functional implications of long-term pain following outpatient inguinal herniorrhaphy--a prospective evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study is to assess pain and functional outcomes at 1 y following inguinal herniorrhaphy in which patients were randomized to receive a continuous wound infusion of bupivacaine to receiving a saline infusion. METHODS: Patients received saline or bupivacaine prior to incision and then for 60 h postoperatively. The incidence, severity, and functional interference of pain were assessed for five postoperative days, and at 1 y. RESULTS: Seventy patients completed a survey 1 y following herniorrhaphy. Four percent (3/72) of patients were in moderate to severe pain "almost always" or "often". Twenty-one percent (15/72) of patients experienced pain with ambulation. There was no difference between groups at 1 y. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of moderate or severe pain is concerning 1 y following surgery. Functional aberrations associated with pain should be assessed in all studies evaluating long-term pain after herniorrhaphy.

Comparison of perioperative oral multimodal analgesia versus IV PCA for spine surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: A preintervention and postintervention design was used to examine a total of 200 patients. OBJECTIVE: After successful implementation at our institution of a perioperative oral multimodal analgesia protocol in major joint arthroplasty, a modified regimen was provided to patients undergoing spine procedures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A proactive, multimodal approach is currently recommended for the management of acute postoperative pain. Inadequate postoperative analgesia can negatively influence surgical outcome and duration of rehabilitation. Routine use of intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IV PCA) after surgery can result in substantial functional interference, side effects, and lead to untoward events as a result of programming errors. METHODS: A preintervention and postintervention design was used to compare a historical control group of spine surgery patients who received conventional IV PCA (N=100) with a prospective group who received some form of perioperative oral multimodal analgesia (N=100). The new regimen included preoperative and postoperative scheduled extended-release oxycodone, gabapentin, and acetaminophen, intraoperative dolasetron and as-needed postoperative short-acting oral oxycodone. Patient surveys and chart audits were used to measure pain intensity, functional interference from pain, opioid consumption, analgesic-related side effects, and patient satisfaction over the first 24 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: Patients who received the new perioperative multimodal oral regimen had significantly less opioid consumption (P<0.001), lower ratings of Least Pain (P<0.01), and experienced less nausea (P<.001), drowsiness (P<0.05), interference with walking (P=0.05), and coughing and deep breathing (P<0.05) compared with the IV PCA group. CONCLUSIONS: This quality improvement study shows some safety and significant advantages of a multimodal perioperative oral analgesic regimen compared with standard IV PCA after spine surgery.

Developing new ways to address learning needs of adult abdominal organ transplant recipients.

CONTEXT: The degree to which patients are knowledgeable about posttransplant care can affect outcomes and patients' satisfaction. Transplant team members must identify knowledge gaps, contributory factors, and innovative methods to address learning needs. OBJECTIVE: To identify patients' perceptions of their knowledge gaps and identify ways to improve current approaches to patient education. DESIGN: Nonexperimental. SETTING: Midwestern teaching hospital. PATIENTS: 726 adult abdominal organ transplant recipients. INTERVENTION(S): A patient education survey was mailed out to solid-organ transplant recipients who met study criteria. A modified version of the Patient Learning Needs Scale (PLNS) was used to identify the recipients' learning needs. Additional questions on the survey addressed factors that we hypothesized would influence responses to the PLNS and asked patients which methods would help them learn during various phases of the transplant process. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Statistical analysis was conducted on survey responses. RESULTS: Overall, PLNS scores were satisfactory in all 4 categories. Analysis of PLNS subscales revealed significantly lower scores in the quality of life/psychosocial subscale compared with the other 3 subscales. Significantly lower scores in the medications and follow-up categories of the PLNS items were found among the group whose length of stay was between 15 to 30 days compared with patients with shorter and longer stays. A variety of different methods are desired by patients in order to get information, especially before transplant.

Improving reassessment and documentation of pain management.

BACKGROUND: The Joint Commission standards on pain management address the documentation of assessment and reassessment. Yet, little has been published to describe when and how nurses perform and communicate reassessment of pain. In 2005, the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics (UWHC) was inconsistently reassessing pain after interventions, and documented reassessments were primarily confined to pain-intensity ratings. PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT: A large-scale plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle was implemented to improve the documentation of pain reassessments, including development of an evidence-based administrative policy, repetitive education efforts with bedside coaching, changes in daily bedside documentation flow sheets, and audit and feedback. RESULTS: From May 29, 2006, through July 16, 2008, a cumulative rate of 94.9% appropriately documented pain reassessments was achieved. DISCUSSION: Despite implementation of an evidence-based policy to clarify requirements for pain reassessment, repetitive educational efforts, changes in daily bedside flow sheets, direct and extensive leadership involvement in the form of continuous bedside coaching, combined with more timely and persistent audit and feedback and clear accountability and alignment with goals, was necessary for substantial change. Strategies to sustain improvements include daily administrative and monthly staff documentation audits with prompt feedback to clinical nurse managers and staff. Nurses are instructed on the importance of pain reassessments and on the policy and specific documentation requirements. Reassessment of pain is a routine variable displayed on unit and departmental quality dashboards. Further study should examine if the intensity of this requirement for pain reassessment documentation ultimately facilitates the safety and effectiveness of pain management.

Nurses' opinions on appropriate administration of PRN range opioid analgesic orders for acute pain.

The use of "as needed" or "pro re nata" (PRN) range opioid analgesic orders is a common clinical practice in the management of acute pain, designed to provide flexibility in dosing to meet an individual's unique needs. Range orders enable necessary adjustments in doses based on individual response to treatment. However, PRN range opioid orders have recently come under scrutiny as a source of confusion and as a medication management safety issue. How nurses administer range orders may vary based on their interpretation of the intent of an order, inadequate knowledge of analgesic titration, or exaggerated concerns about opioid safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate nurses' opinions of the appropriate implementation of range orders. Six hundred two nurses from one large academic medical center and one multihospital system completed an online survey using theoretic clinical vignettes to examine their opinions of appropriate analgesic administration practices. The majority of participants chose appropriate responses to the vignettes; however, there was a great deal of variability in responses. Those who had attended pain management courses were more likely to have a higher percentage of appropriate responses than those who had not attended courses. Years in practice and educational level were not significantly related to percentage of appropriate responses; however, there was a trend for nurses with a master's degree to have a higher percentage than nurses with other educational preparation. Consideration of opioid pharmacokinetics can provide logic to develop a new paradigm where range orders are replaced with orders that provide more explicit instructions to titrate an opioid to the most effective dose.

The WPI's review of Wisconsin's managed care climate for pain management: opportunities for improvement.

BACKGROUND: Reimbursement obstacles, such as inadequate insurance coverage, have been identified as barriers to adequate pain management. The purpose of this study was to determine Wisconsin insurers' and managed care organizations' (MCOs) policies and practices regarding pain treatment and MCO medical directors' perceptions of barriers to providing effective pain management for their enrollees. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative design was used with semi-structured interviews of 6 administrative executives of commercial health management organizations' products from the major insurers in Wisconsin. RESULTS: None of the companies interviewed had systematically tracked data or had processes in place to allow them to track, analyze or trend data specific to pain management. Chronic noncancer pain is recognized more frequently as an insurance coverage issue because of high drug costs. Pharmacologic and interventional therapies are routinely covered compared with nonpharmacologic therapies with some prior authorizations, especially for newer medications. A uniformly identified barrier was lack of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, integrated approach to pain management and inadequate data on the cost effectiveness of various approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Opportunities exist to educate and improve communication between health care professionals, purchasers of health care (employers), primary care providers and pain specialists. The economics of pain management needs to be made more "visible" through the development of coding and tracking mechanisms.

The evaluation of mechanical devices for lateral transfers on perceived exertion and patient comfort.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the perceived physical stress felt by subjects (nursing and other hospital personnel), time spent, number of personnel required, and patient comfort using various methods to transfer patients laterally in the supine position. DESIGN: Descriptive comparative design. SAMPLE: One hundred ninety-two transfer ratings (132 using manual methods and 60 using a mechanical device) were compared. Thirty-two transfers (18 manual and 14 mechanical device) were timed, and 39 patients (12 having manual transfer and 27 with a mechanical device) provided comfort ratings. FINDINGS: Perceived exertion was significantly less for subjects performing lateral transfers with a mechanical device than with manual methods. Fewer personnel were needed for transfers with mechanical devices. Approximately 5 minutes less per transfer was needed when using mechanical devices, and patients felt significantly more comfortable and secure when a mechanical transfer device was used. DISCUSSION: The use of a mechanical device for transfer provided lower exertion ratings, used less personnel and time, and was more comfortable for patients. There are barriers to use, however, because of resistance to change, perceived increase in time needed for transfer, and the limitation of storing and retrieving the devices. Provision of equipment does not ensure use; institution of teaching and no-lift policies can facilitate use of lifting/transferring equipment.

Use of nonpharmacologic interventions for pain and anxiety after total hip and total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare pain and anxiety in orthopaedic patients scheduled for elective total hip or knee arthroplasty who have received a kit of nonpharmacologic strategies for pain and anxiety in addition to their regularly prescribed analgesics to those who receive the usual pharmacologic management alone. DESIGN: Descriptive comparative and correlational design using surveys and chart audits. SAMPLE: Sixty-five patients randomized to receive usual care or usual care plus a kit of nonpharmacologic strategies. FINDINGS: Patients who received the kit used nonpharmacologic measures for pain and anxiety more often than patients who did not receive the kit. The kit group tended to use less opioid and have less anxiety on postoperative day 1 (not statistically significant) and use significantly less opioid on postoperative day 2 than the patients who did not receive the kit. There were no between-group differences in pain intensity. There were significant correlations among postoperative pain intensity, opioid use, and anxiety. The coping method of diverting attention was related to lower present (now) pain scores, and ignoring the pain was associated with higher worst pain. DISCUSSION: Providing a kit of nonpharmacologic strategies can increase the use of these methods for postoperative pain and anxiety and decrease the amount of opioid taken. The influence of coping strategies in acute postoperative pain needs to be examined further.

Continuous local anesthetic infusion for pain management after outpatient inguinal herniorrhaphy.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study is to compare postoperative pain and functional outcomes in patients undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy who receive a continuous wound infusion of bupivacaine to those who receive an infusion of saline. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in adults undergoing outpatient inguinal herniorrhaphy. Patients received saline or bupivacaine through a disposable infusion pump for 60 hours postoperatively. Pain outcomes were assessed, as were functional outcomes (activity, return of bowel function) and side effects. RESULTS: On postoperative day 1, patients who received bupivacaine had lower ratings for worst pain than patients who received saline, (5.0 +/- 2.3 vs 6.7 +/- 2.2, P=.002). On day 1, least pain ratings were also lower, and patients ambulated more frequently than those who received placebo. There were no differences between groups from postoperative days 2 to 5. There were no differences between groups in the amount of hydrocodone consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous infusion of local anesthetic after inguinal herniorrhaphy provides modest improvements in pain scores and functional outcomes when compared with placebo. However, these effects are limited to the first postoperative day only. The additional costs associated with this intervention may limit its widespread use in clinical practice.

Implementing clinical research: perils, pitfalls, and planning.

Performing clinical nursing research is critical to enhancing patient care. Even the most carefully planned study, however, is subject to the "real world" of clinical practice and unforeseen obstacles. Attention to detail throughout all phases of the study, flexibility, and problem-solving are key to successful completion of your study. And most important--keep your sense of humor and learn from the experience!

The American Society of Pain Management Nurses role-delineation study. National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses respondents.

PURPOSE: A role-delineation study was conducted by the American Society of Pain Management Nurses to examine the activities performed by nurses involved in pain management. DESIGN: A survey was sent to nurses involved in pain management. The role-delineation survey consisted of 92 activity statements and was based on the Nursing Intervention Classifications. Frequency of performing each activity and importance of the activity were rated by respondents, and a Mean Activity Index score was calculated for each item. SAMPLE: As part of the sampling strategy, a random sample of 200 nurse members of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses (NAON) were sent surveys. Forty-two (21%) NAON members returned completed surveys. FINDINGS: The activities with the highest Mean Activity Index were primarily those involving pain assessment and pharmacologic management and those relatively specific to orthopaedic patients, such as positioning to increase comfort and premedicating with analgesics before activity. CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic nurses were similar to other nursing specialty groups for assessment and pharmacologic management of pain but placed more emphasis on activity management than other groups. IMPLICATIONS: The results of the study will be used to refine standards of care develop nursing education curricula, develop research priorities, and develop a blueprint for a certification examination.

Revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) for quality improvement of pain management in hospitalized adults: preliminary psychometric evaluation.

UNLABELLED: Quality improvement (QI) is a compilation of methods adapted from psychology, statistics, and operations research to identify factors that contribute to poor treatment outcomes and to design solutions for improvement. Valid and reliable measurement is essential to QI using rigorously developed and tested instruments. The purpose of this article is to describe the evolution of the American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ) for QI purposes and present a revised version (R) including instrument psychometrics. An interdisciplinary task force of the APS used a step-wise, empiric approach to revise, test, and examine psychometric properties of the society's original POQ. The APS-POQ-R is designed for use in adult hospital pain management QI activities and measures 6 aspects of quality, including (1) pain severity and relief; (2) impact of pain on activity, sleep, and negative emotions; (3) side effects of treatment; (4) helpfulness of information about pain treatment; (5) ability to participate in pain treatment decisions; and (6) use of nonpharmacological strategies. Adult medical-surgical inpatients (n = 299) from 2 hospitals in different parts of the United States participated in this study. Results provide support for the internal consistency of the instrument subscales, construct validity and clinical feasibility. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents the initial psychometric properties of the APS-POQ-R for quality improvement purposes of hospitalized adult patients. Validation in additional groups of patients will be needed to demonstrate its generalizability.

Prospective analysis of a novel long-acting oral opioid analgesic regimen for pain control after total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Parenteral opioid use after total knee (TKA) and hip (THA) arthroplasty often results in substantial functional interference and side effects. This prospective study compared use of traditional intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) with a novel oral regimen after TKA and THA. Sixty-two patients received IV PCA and 62 received scheduled long-acting and, as needed, short-acting oral opioids postoperatively. Surveys and chart audits documented functional interference, pain scores, opioid-related side effects, and opioid consumption. Patients who received the oral regimen had significantly less opioid consumption (P < .05) and experienced less functional interference (P < .05) than the IV PCA group. Both groups had similar pain scores and incidence of opioid side effects. This study demonstrates some significant advantages of an oral analgesic regimen compared with IV PCA after TKA and THA.

Incidence and characteristics of naloxone use in postoperative pain management: a critical examination of naloxone use as a potential quality measure.

The administration of naloxone may be an important monitor of the quality and safety of postoperative pain management. However, studies that support the use of naloxone as a quality measure are absent. The purposes of this study are to determine the incidence and factors associated with naloxone administration in the postoperative setting and to critically examine naloxone as a potential quality measure. Participants included all postoperative adult inpatients at an academic hospital who received naloxone and an equal number of matched control patients who did not receive naloxone during the calendar year 2003. Medical record audits were performed to examine patient demographics, relevant medical history, postoperatively administered analgesics and central nervous system depressants, documented sedation and respiratory assessments, reason provided for naloxone administration, and patient outcome. Naloxone was administered to .53% (56/10,511) of all adult inpatient postoperative patients. Patients who received naloxone were significantly older and received more central nervous system depressants than cohorts. No significant differences were found in comorbidities, route of opioid administration, or amount of opioids taken by the two groups. Reversal of excessive opioid-induced sedation was the primary reason provided for naloxone administration. However, 25% of the patients were later determined to have a new diagnosis that contributed to sedation. Examination of naloxone administration proved useful in uncovering deficits in structures and processes of care. However, caution is warranted when using naloxone as a quality measure to avoid the implication that higher use indicates opioid analgesic over-treatment or error.

The American Society of Pain Management Nurses practice analysis: role delineation study.

A role delineation study was carried out by the American Society of Pain Management Nurses (ASPMN) to determine the activities performed by nurses involved in pain management. Demographic characteristics of pain management nurses and differences in practice based on educational preparation and specialty affiliation were identified. The role delineation survey was developed based on Nursing Intervention Classifications. The survey consisted of 91 activity statements. Respondents rated the frequency of performing each activity and the importance of the activity. A Mean Activity Index score was calculated for each item. All members of the ASPMN, the nursing special interest group (SIG) of the American Pain Society, and the pain SIG of the Oncology Nursing Society, as well as random samples of members of the National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses, Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners were surveyed. Seven hundred and sixty-one questionnaires were analyzed (24.8% response rate). Demographic characteristics of the sample mirrored those of nursing as a whole in the United States. The activities with the highest Mean Activity Index were primarily those involving assessment of pain. Nurses with diploma and Associate Degree preparation rated assessment and nonpharmacologic management higher and communication and collaboration lower than nurses with higher educational preparation. Activities varied somewhat as a reflection of respondents' nursing specialty. The results of the study will be used to refine standards of care, develop nursing education curricula, develop research priorities, and develop a blueprint for a certification examination in pain management nursing.

A 10-year review of quality improvement monitoring in pain management: recommendations for standardized outcome measures.

Quality measurement in health care is complex and in a constant state of evolution. Different approaches are necessary depending on the purpose of the measurement (e.g., accountability, research, improvement). Recent changes in health care accreditation standards are driving increased attention to measurement of the quality of pain management for improvement purposes. The purpose of this article is to determine what indicators are being used for pain quality improvement, compare results across studies, and provide specific recommendations to simplify and standardize future measurement of quality for hospital-based pain management initiatives. Pain management quality improvement monitoring experience and data from 1992 to 2001 were analyzed from 20 studies performed at eight large hospitals in the United States. Hospitals included: the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison; Texas Medical Center, Houston; McAllen Medical Center, McAllen, TX; San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco; Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center and Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York; and Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center of Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Clackamas, OR. Analyses of data led to consensus on six quality indicators for hospital-based pain management. These indicators include: the intensity of pain is documented with a numeric or descriptive rating scale; pain intensity is documented at frequent intervals; pain is treated by a route other than intramuscular; pain is treated with regularly administered analgesics, and when possible, a multimodal approach is used; pain is prevented and controlled to a degree that facilitates function and quality of life; and patients are adequately informed and knowledgeable about pain management. Although there are no perfect measures of quality, longitudinal data support the validity of a core set of indicators that could be used to obtain benchmark data for quality improvement in pain management in the hospital setting.