Lessons from the implementation of a trauma center-based program to support primary care providers in managing opioids and pain after trauma hospitalization.

Background: Decreasing exposure to prescription opioids is critical to lowering risk of opioid misuse, overdose and opioid use disorder. This study reports a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial implementing an opioid taper support program directed to primary care providers (PCPs) of patients discharged from a level I trauma center to their homes distant from the center, and shares lessons for trauma centers in supporting these patients. Methods: This longitudinal descriptive mixed-methods study uses quantitative/qualitative data from trial intervention arm patients to examine implementation challenges and outcomes: adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, fidelity. In the intervention, a physician assistant (PA) contacted patients after discharge to review their discharge instructions and pain management plan, confirm their PCP's identity and encourage PCP follow-up. The PA reached out to the PCP to review the discharge instructions and offer ongoing opioid taper and pain management support. Results: The PA reached 32 of 37 patients randomized to the program. Of these 32, 81% discussed topics not targeted by the intervention (eg, social/financial). The PA identified and reached a PCP's office for only 51% of patients. Of these, all PCP offices (100% adoption) received one to four consults (mean 1.9) per patient (fidelity). Few consults were with PCPs (22%); most were with medical assistants (56%) or nurses (22%). The PA reported that it was not routinely clear to patients or PCPs who was responsible for post-trauma care and opioid taper, and what the taper instructions were. Conclusions: This level I trauma center successfully implemented a telephonic opioid taper support program during COVID-19 but adapted the program to allow nurses and medical assistants to receive it. This study demonstrates a critical need to improve care transition from hospitalization to home for patients discharged after trauma. Level of evidence: Level IV.

Chronic Breast Pain Prior to Breast Cancer Surgery Is Associated with Worse Acute Postoperative Pain Outcomes.

Acute postoperative pain is associated with adverse short and long-term outcomes among women undergoing surgery for breast cancer. Previous studies identified preexisting pain as a predictor of postoperative pain, but rarely accounted for pain location or chronicity. This study leveraged a multinational pain registry, PAIN OUT, to: (1) characterize patient subgroups based on preexisting chronic breast pain status and (2) determine the association of preexisting chronic pain with acute postoperative pain-related patient-reported outcomes and opioid consumption following breast cancer surgery. The primary outcome was a composite score comprising the mean of pain intensity and pain interference items from the International Pain Outcomes Questionnaire. The secondary outcome was opioid consumption in the recovery room and ward. Among 1889 patients, we characterized three subgroups: no preexisting chronic pain (n = 1600); chronic preexisting pain elsewhere (n = 128) and; chronic preexisting pain in the breast with/without pain elsewhere (n = 161). Controlling for covariates, women with preexisting chronic breast pain experienced more severe acute postoperative pain and pain interference (ß = 1.0, 95% CI = 0.7-1.3, p < 0.001), and required higher doses of opioids postoperatively (ß = 2.7, 95% CI = 0.6-4.8, p = 0.013). Preexisting chronic breast pain may be an important risk factor for poor pain-related postoperative outcomes. Targeted intervention of this subgroup may improve recovery.

American Society for Enhanced Recovery and Perioperative Quality Initiative-4 Joint Consensus Statement on Persistent Postoperative Opioid Use: Definition, Incidence, Risk Factors, and Health Care System Initiatives.

Persistent postoperative opioid use is thought to contribute to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States. However, efforts to study and address the issue have been stymied by the lack of a standard definition, which has also hampered efforts to measure the incidence of and risk factors for persistent postoperative opioid use. The objective of this systematic review is to (1) determine a clinically relevant definition of persistent postoperative opioid use, and (2) characterize its incidence and risk factors for several common surgeries. Our approach leveraged a group of international experts from the Perioperative Quality Initiative-4, a consensus-building conference that included representation from anesthesiology, surgery, and nursing. A search of the medical literature yielded 46 articles addressing persistent postoperative opioid use in adults after arthroplasty, abdominopelvic surgery, spine surgery, thoracic surgery, mastectomy, and thoracic surgery. In opioid-naïve patients, the overall incidence ranged from 2% to 6% based on moderate-level evidence. However, patients who use opioids preoperatively had an incidence of >30%. Preoperative opioid use, depression, factors associated with the diagnosis of substance use disorder, preoperative pain, and tobacco use were reported risk factors. In addition, while anxiety, sex, and psychotropic prescription are associated with persistent postoperative opioid use, these reports are based on lower level evidence. While few articles addressed the health policy or prescriber characteristics that influence persistent postoperative opioid use, efforts to modify prescriber behaviors and health system characteristics are likely to have success in reducing persistent postoperative opioid use.

Correction to: American Society for Enhanced Recovery (ASER) and Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI) Joint Consensus Statement on Optimal Analgesia within an Enhanced Recovery Pathway for Colorectal Surgery: Part 2-From PACU to the Transition Home.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13741-017-0063-6.].

American Society for Enhanced Recovery (ASER) and Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI) Joint Consensus Statement on Optimal Analgesia within an Enhanced Recovery Pathway for Colorectal Surgery: Part 2-From PACU to the Transition Home.

BACKGROUND: Within an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP), the approach to treating pain should be multifaceted and the goal should be to deliver "optimal analgesia", which we define in this paper as a technique that optimizes patient comfort and facilitates functional recovery with the fewest medication side effects. METHODS: With input from a multidisciplinary, international group of experts and through a structured review of the literature and use of a modified Delphi method, we achieved consensus surrounding the topic of optimal analgesia in the perioperative period for colorectal surgery patients. DISCUSSION: As a part of the first Perioperative Quality Improvement (POQI) workgroup meeting, we sought to develop a consensus document describing a comprehensive, yet rational and practical, approach for developing an evidence-based plan for achieving optimal analgesia, specifically for a colorectal surgery within an ERP. The goal was twofold: (a) that application of this process would lead to improved patient outcomes and (b) that investigation of the questions raised would identify knowledge gaps to aid the direction for research into analgesia within ERPs in the years to come. This document details the evidence for a wide range of analgesic components, with particular focus on care in the post-anesthesia care unit, general care ward, and transition to home after discharge. The preoperative and operative consensus statement for analgesia was covered in Part 1 of this paper. The overall conclusion is that the combination of analgesic techniques employed in the perioperative period is not important as long as it is effective in delivering the goal of "optimal analgesia" as set forth in this document.

American Society for Enhanced Recovery (ASER) and Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI) joint consensus statement on optimal analgesia within an enhanced recovery pathway for colorectal surgery: part 1-from the preoperative period to PACU.

BACKGROUND: Within an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP), the approach to treating pain should be multifaceted and the goal should be to deliver "optimal analgesia," which we define in this paper as a technique that optimizes patient comfort and facilitates functional recovery with the fewest medication side effects. METHODS: With input from a multi-disciplinary, international group of clinicians, and through a structured review of the literature and use of a modified Delphi method, we achieved consensus surrounding the topic of optimal analgesia in the perioperative period for colorectal surgery patients. DISCUSSION: As a part of the first Perioperative Quality Improvement (POQI) workgroup meeting, we sought to develop a consensus document describing a comprehensive, yet rational and practical, approach for developing an evidence-based plan for achieving optimal analgesia, specifically for a colorectal surgery ERP. The goal was two-fold: (a) that application of this process would lead to improved patient outcomes and (b) that investigation of the questions raised would identify knowledge gaps to aid the direction for research into analgesia within ERPs in the years to come. This document details the evidence for a wide range of analgesic components, with particular focus from the preoperative period to the post-anesthesia care unit. The overall conclusion is that the combination of analgesic techniques employed in the perioperative period is not important as long as it is effective in delivering the goal of optimal analgesia as set forth in this document.

Early Postoperative Pain and its Predictors in the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about how well postoperative pain is managed in living liver donors, despite pain severity being the strongest predictor of persistent pain with long-lasting disability. METHODS: We conducted a prospective multicenter study of 172 living liver donors. Self-reported outcomes for pain severity, activity interference, affective (emotional) reactions, adverse effects to treatment, and perceptions of care were collected using the American Pain Society Patient Outcomes Questionnaire-Revised. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to identify demographic and psychosocial predictors of subscale scores. RESULTS: Donors were young (36.8 ± 10.6) and healthy. Of 12 expert society analgesic recommendations for postoperative pain management, 49% received care conforming to 3 guidelines, and only 9% to 4 or 5. More than half reported adverse effects to analgesic treatment for moderate to severe pain that interfered with functional activity; however, emotional distress to pain was unexpectedly minimal. Female donors had higher affective (ß = 0.88, P = 0.005) and adverse effects scores (ß = 1.33, P < 0.001). Donors with 2 or more medical concerns before surgery averaged 1 unit higher pain severity, functional interference, adverse effects, and affective reaction subscale scores (ß range 1.06-1.55, all P < 0.05). Receiving information about pain treatment options increased perception of care subscale scores (ß = 1.24, P = 0.001), whereas depressive symptoms before donation were associated with lower scores (ß = -1.58, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Donors have a distinct profile of pain reporting that is highly influenced by psychological characteristics. Interventions to improve pain control should consider modifying donor behavioral characteristics in addition to optimizing pain care protocols.

Evaluation of Evidence-based Nursing Pain Management Practice.

It is important to ensure that cancer pain management is based on the best evidence. Nursing evidence-based pain management can be examined through an evaluation of pain documentation. The aim of this study was to modify and test an evaluation tool for nursing cancer pain documentation, and describe the frequency and quality of nursing pain documentation in one oncology unit via the electronic medical system. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for this study at an oncology unit of an academic medical center in the Pacific Northwest. Medical records were examined for 37 adults hospitalized during April and May 2013. Nursing pain documentations (N = 230) were reviewed using an evaluation tool modified from the Cancer Pain Practice Index to consist of 13 evidence-based pain management indicators, including pain assessment, care plan, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, monitoring and treatment of analgesic side effects, communication with physicians, and patient education. Individual nursing documentation was assigned a score ranging from 0 (worst possible) to 13 (best possible), to reflect the delivery of evidence-based pain management. The participating nurses documented 90% of the recommended evidence-based pain management indicators. Documentation was suboptimal for pain reassessment, pharmacologic interventions, and bowel regimen. The study results provide implications for enhancing electronic medical record design and highlight a need for future research to understand the reasons for suboptimal nursing documentation of cancer pain management. For the future use of the data evaluation tool, we recommend additional modifications according to study settings.

Patients' perception of postoperative pain management: validation of the International Pain Outcomes (IPO) questionnaire.

UNLABELLED: PAIN OUT is a European Commission-funded project aiming at improving postoperative pain management. It combines a registry that can be useful for quality improvement and research using treatment and patient-reported outcome measures. The core of the project is a patient questionnaire-the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire-that comprises key patient-level outcomes of postoperative pain management, including pain intensity, physical and emotional functional interference, side effects, and perceptions of care. Its psychometric quality after translation and adaptation to European patients is the subject of this validation study. The questionnaire was administered to 9,727 patients in 10 languages in 8 European countries and Israel. Construct validity was assessed using factor analysis. Discriminant validity assessment used Mann-Whitney U tests to detect mean group differences between 2 surgical disciplines. Internal consistency reliability was calculated as Cronbach's alpha. Factor analysis resulted in a 3-factor structure explaining 53.6% of variance. Cronbach's alpha at overall scale level was high (.86), and for the 3 subscales was low, moderate, or high (range, .53-.89). Significant mean group differences between general and orthopedic surgery patients confirmed discriminant validity. The psychometric quality of the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire can be regarded as satisfactory. PERSPECTIVE: The International Pain Outcomes questionnaire provides an instrument for postoperative pain assessment and improvement of quality of care, which demonstrated good psychometric quality when translated into a variety of languages in a large European and Israeli patient population. This measure provides the basis for the first comprehensive postoperative pain registry in Europe and other countries.

The impact of early postoperative pain on health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To examine how the severity of postoperative pain affects patient's health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at 1 week following surgery and to compare two generic validated HRQoL instruments. METHODS: Patients undergoing general or orthopaedic surgery at the Royal London Hospital were randomly sampled. The following patient outcome data were collected EQ-5D (EuroQoL) pre-operatively and the Revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) at 24 hours postoperation; and EQ-5D, Short-Form-12 (SF-12) and APS-POQ-R at 7 days postoperation. The degree of association between pain and HRQoL was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multivariate generalized linear regression models. RESULTS: Of the 228 patients included, 166 patients provided data at 7 days. Sixteen percent reported severe pain ≥ 50% of the day at 7 days. The severity of pain on both the APS-POQ-R pain severity and interference and affective impairment domains at 7 days was highly correlated with a decrease in HRQoL as assessed by the SF-12 Physical Component Score (PCS), SF-12 Mental Component Score (MCS), and EQ-5D scores (r = -0.34 to -0.61, P < 0.0001). Multivariate regression analyses showed that irrespective of confounding factors (eg, age, gender, and pre-operative HRQoL) patients with severe postoperative pain experience important reductions in both physical and mental well-being domains of their HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: A proportion of patients continue to experience severe pain at 7 days postoperatively, even after minor surgery. HRQoL is strongly associated with the level of pain and provides additional data on the impact of postsurgery pain on patient's function and well-being. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the interaction between pain severity and HRQoL during the peri-operative period.

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.

Patient-controlled analgesia: patient and nurse satisfaction with intravenous delivery systems and expected satisfaction with transdermal delivery systems.

OBJECTIVE: To compare patient and nurse satisfaction with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) to their prospective satisfaction with patient-controlled transdermal delivery system (PCTS) technology. METHODS: Nationwide samples of 301 nurses (200 medical-surgical, 101 post-anesthesia care units) and 500 surgery patients (192 abdominal, 119 gynecological, 189 orthopedic) completed self-administered, Internet-based questionnaires. Respondents indicated satisfaction with attributes of IV-PCA and, after reading a description of PCTS, indicated prospective satisfaction with comparable attributes. Within patient and nurse samples, half rated IV-PCA first (and later re-rated overall satisfaction) and half rated PCTS first. Paired comparison t-tests were used to determine significant differences in satisfaction for IV-PCA and PCTS attributes. RESULTS: Nurses reported significantly higher satisfaction with PCTS for patient and nurse ease of use, safety, and tolerability (p < 0.001 for all); and higher satisfaction with IV-PCA for the ability to vary drugs (p < 0.001) and doses (p < 0.001), deliver basal doses (p < 0.001), and dose tracking accessibility (p = 0.003) and quality (p = 0.002). Patients reported significantly higher satisfaction with PCTS for pain relief (p < 0.001), safety (p = 0.027), self-control (p < 0.001), and patient (p < 0.001) and nurse ease of use (p < 0.001); and higher satisfaction with IV-PCA for correct set-up and programming (p = 0.002). Overall satisfaction did not differ significantly among nurses, but among patients satisfaction with IV-PCA declined after considering PCTS (p < 0.001). Nurses placed greater importance on safety to their overall satisfaction than patients did. LIMITATIONS: Only respondents with Internet access were included. PCTS satisfaction is hypothetical and may not reflect true product satisfaction. CONCLUSION: PCTS is a novel delivery system for postoperative pain and has the potential to improve patient and nurse satisfaction over IV-PCA.

Oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate for cancer breakthrough pain: a review.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To review the dose titration, efficacy, and safety of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC). DATA SOURCES: Phase I and II clinical trial abstracts and evidence-based review articles. DATA SYNTHESIS: OTFC has an onset, peak, and duration of action similar to that of an IV dose of an opioid and has been demonstrated to be effective and well tolerated for the management of breakthrough pain in patients with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Studies of OTFC demonstrate that it is easy to use,noninvasive, effective, safe, and acceptable to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. However, OTFC is expensive and approved for use only in opioid-tolerant patients with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Breakthrough pain in patients with cancer is a common problem with characteristics that make it difficult to treat. Oncology nurses should familiarize themselves with OTFC's unique characteristics to be able to best help patients manage their therapy.

American pain society recommendations for improving the quality of acute and cancer pain management: American Pain Society Quality of Care Task Force.

BACKGROUND: The American Pain Society (APS) set out to revise and expand its 1995 Quality Improvement Guidelines for the Treatment of Acute Pain and Cancer Pain and to facilitate improvements in the quality of pain management in all care settings. METHODS: Eleven multidisciplinary members of the APS with expertise in quality improvement or measurement participated in the update. Five experts from organizations that focus on health care quality reviewed the final recommendations. MEDLINE and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases were searched (1994-2004) to identify articles on pain quality measurement and quality improvement published after the development of the 1995 guidelines. The APS task force revised and expanded recommendations on the basis of the systematic review of published studies. The more than 3000 members of the APS were invited to provide input, and the 5 experts provided additional comments. The task force synthesized reviewers' comments into the final set of recommendations. RESULTS: The recommendations specify that all care settings formulate structured, multilevel systems approaches (sensitive to the type of pain, population served, and setting of care) that ensure prompt recognition and treatment of pain, involvement of patients and families in the pain management plan, improved treatment patterns, regular reassessment and adjustment of the pain management plan as needed, and measurement of processes and outcomes of pain management. CONCLUSION: Efforts to improve the quality of pain management must move beyond assessment and communication of pain to implementation and evaluation of improvements in pain treatment that are timely, safe, evidence based, and multimodal.

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.

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.

Treatment of pain crisis at end of life from severe lower extremity venous outflow obstruction with hyperalgesia and allodynia.

Pain crisis in metastatic disease can be a therapeutic dilemma when differing mechanisms contribute to severe hyperalgesia and neuropathic pain. We discuss clinical presentation and management of excruciating pain from severe lower limb venous outflow obstruction in an opioid tolerant, terminally ill patient with locally invasive and metastatic adenocarcinoma of the cervix. This case illustrates how pain crises at end of life can be successfully managed by using a rational, complementary, multimodal approach. Key points include possible mechanisms of pain from venous outflow obstruction, benefit of hyperbaric subarachnoid bupivacaine, opioid rotation to methadone, and use of ketamine by mouth.