Strategies of pain reduction during the bone marrow biopsy.

Examination of the bone marrow biopsy and aspirate allows diagnosis and assessment of various conditions such as primary hematologic and metastatic neoplasms, as well as nonmalignant disorders. Despite being performed for many years, according to many different protocols, the procedure still remains painful for the majority of patients. This paper summarizes the current knowledge of pain reduction measures in the bone marrow biopsy and aspiration.

The effect of noise-cancelling headphones or music on pain perception and anxiety in men undergoing transrectal prostate biopsy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of noise-cancelling headphones with or without music on patient pain and anxiety associated with routine, office-based transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy in a prospective randomized study. METHODS: Patients scheduled for prostate biopsy as a result of elevated prostate-specific antigen and/or abnormal digital rectal examination were prospectively enrolled and randomized into a control, noise-cancelling headphones, or music-headphones group. Patients completed pain and anxiety questionnaires and had their physiological parameters assessed before and after the procedure and compared across groups. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients were enrolled. Pain scores increased from baseline across all study groups, with the lowest mean score in the music group. No appreciable change was noted in anxiety scores after the procedure between groups (P>.05). Although postbiopsy systolic blood pressure values remained comparable with baseline levels in all groups, postbiopsy diastolic blood pressure increased in the control and headphones groups (P=.062 and .088, respectively) but remained stable in the music group (P=.552) after biopsy, indicating lesser physiological response to anxiety and pain in this group. CONCLUSION: Music-induced attention shift during prostate biopsy may have a beneficial impact on procedural anxiety and pain perception, but no apparent effect was noted for use of headphones alone. Further studies are necessary to explore strategies to reduce perceived anxiety and pain in men undergoing prostate biopsy.

[Tolerance of prostate biopsy with use of local anesthesia and benzodiazepines: a randomized, prospective study]. / Tolerancia a la biopsia prostática con el uso de anestesia local y benzodiacepinas: estudio prospectivo aleatorizado.

INTRODUCTION: Prostate biopsy is an uncomfortable procedure, and attempts are therefore being constantly made to try and decrease biopsy-related pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, prospective study including 160 procedures was designed. Inclusion criteria were: first biopsy, PSA < 15 ng/mL, and age under 75 years. Patients were randomized into 4 groups. Group A was the control group, while group B received intracapsular anesthesia (8 mL of 2% lidocaine), group C 5 mg of oral clorazepate dipotassium one hour before biopsy, and group D both local anesthesia and clorazepate. Each patient completed a questionnaire including three 10-point visual analog scales for pain immediately after the procedure and 30 minutes later. RESULTS: Mean pain scores were 5.17 (group A), 1.72 (group B), 2.43 (group C), and 0.88 (group D) in the first questionnaire, and 1.71, 0.25, 0.75 and 0.35 respectively in the second questionnaire. Statistically significant differences were found in the ANOVA test. Group comparisons showed the following: 1. A vs B: statistically significant differences in both questionnaires (p = 0.006 and 0.011). 2. A vs C: a significant difference was found in the first questionnaire (0.051), but not in the second (0.012). 3. A vs D: significant differences in both questionnaires (0.001 and 0.010). No statistically significant differences were seen in both questionnaires (0.825 and 0.685) when benzodiazepines where added to local anesthesia (B vs D). CONCLUSION: Use of benzodiazepines as a single method to decrease biopsy-related pain is not warranted.

Adjunctive self-hypnotic relaxation for outpatient medical procedures: a prospective randomized trial with women undergoing large core breast biopsy.

Medical procedures in outpatient settings have limited options of managing pain and anxiety pharmacologically. We therefore assessed whether this can be achieved by adjunct self-hypnotic relaxation in a common and particularly anxiety provoking procedure. Two hundred and thirty-six women referred for large core needle breast biopsy to an urban tertiary university-affiliated medical center were prospectively randomized to receive standard care (n=76), structured empathic attention (n=82), or self-hypnotic relaxation (n=78) during their procedures. Patients' self-ratings at 1 min-intervals of pain and anxiety on 0-10 verbal analog scales with 0=no pain/anxiety at all, 10=worst pain/anxiety possible, were compared in an ordinal logistic regression model. Women's anxiety increased significantly in the standard group (logit slope=0.18, p<0.001), did not change in the empathy group (slope=-0.04, p=0.45), and decreased significantly in the hypnosis group (slope=-0.27, p<0.001). Pain increased significantly in all three groups (logit slopes: standard care=0.53, empathy=0.37, hypnosis=0.34; all p<0.001) though less steeply with hypnosis and empathy than standard care (p=0.024 and p=0.018, respectively). Room time and cost were not significantly different in an univariate ANOVA despite hypnosis and empathy requiring an additional professional: 46 min/161 dollars for standard care, 43 min/163 dollars for empathy, and 39 min/152 dollars for hypnosis. We conclude that, while both structured empathy and hypnosis decrease procedural pain and anxiety, hypnosis provides more powerful anxiety relief without undue cost and thus appears attractive for outpatient pain management.

Breast core-needle biopsy: clinical trial of relaxation technique versus medication versus no intervention for anxiety reduction.

PURPOSE: To evaluate effectiveness of oral anxiolytic medication versus relaxation technique for anxiety reduction in women undergoing breast core-needle biopsy (CNB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board reviewed and approved the study. Informed consent was obtained from 143 consecutive women scheduled for breast CNB. Women were randomized as follows: no anxiety intervention (usual care group), relaxation therapy with an audiotape of classical music and ocean sounds during CNB (relaxation group), and 0.5-mg of alprazolam administered orally 15 minutes before CNB (medication group). Anxiety before, during, and 24 hours after the procedure was assessed with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and self-reported visual analog scale from 0 (no anxiety) to 10 (worst anxiety). Data analysis was performed with statistical software. Descriptive statistics were computed for all variables. Group differences were determined with analysis of variance. Differences in mean values were assessed with Bonferroni multiple comparison procedure. Categorical demographic differences were assessed with chi(2) statistic. RESULTS: Preprocedural State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores indicated that women were not inherently anxious: usual care group, score of 44.63; relaxation group, 45.74; and medication group, 49.1. Scores represented significantly elevated anxiety for women in all three groups when compared with the normative value of 35.12 (P < .0001), with no statistically significant differences between the scores of the three groups. Women in medication group reported significant reductions in anxiety (-44%) from levels determined before the procedure to levels determined during the procedure (P = .02) and significant reduction during the procedure when compared with changes in usual care (+15%) and relaxation (-8%) groups (P = .02). Women in all three groups reported significant reduction in anxiety from levels determined before the procedure to levels determined at 24 hours after it (P < .0001). There was no significant difference (P = .95) in 24-hour postprocedural anxiety levels among the three groups. CONCLUSION: Use of oral anxiolytic medication before breast CNB can significantly reduce anxiety women experience during the procedure.

A randomized controlled prospective outcome study of a psychological and pharmacological intervention protocol for procedural distress in pediatric leukemia.

Evaluated distress during invasive procedures in childhood leukemia. Child and parent distress, assessed by questionnaires and ratings, were compared in two arms of a randomized, controlled prospective study, one a pharmacologic only (PO) (n = 45) and the other a combined pharmacologic and psychological intervention (Cl) (n = 47), at 1, 2, and 6 months after diagnosis. The cross-sectional control group (CC) consisted of parents of 70 patients in first remission prior to the prospective study. Mothers' and nurses' ratings of child distress indicated less child distress in the Cl group than the PO. When contrasted with the CC group, the Cl group showed lower levels of child distress. Data showed decreases over time in distress and concurrent improvements in quality of life and parenting stress and supported an inverse association between distress and child age.

Simulation and counterconditioning as adjuncts to pharmacotherapy for invasive pediatric procedures.

Behavioral counterconditioning was conducted during simulated medical routines to supplement medical management of five children's distress during invasive procedures (bone marrow aspiration, lumbar puncture, tracheostomy care, venipuncture, and finger pricks). Preferred activities were paired in vivo with medical stimuli, and differential positive reinforcement was provided contingent on engagement with the preferred activities and on compliance with adult instructions, first during simulations and later during actual procedures. Data on cooperation, escape/avoidance, and negative vocalizations were evaluated using both single-subject experimental methods and a baseline-treatment group statistical comparison. Results support the benefits of this approach as an adjunctive intervention to decrease behavioral distress in some children requiring repeated invasive procedures. Discussion emphasizes the potential for training medical personnel to implement these techniques preventively, for decreasing or discontinuing sedation for some children treated under local anesthesia, and for preparing children with developmental disabilities for invasive procedures.

[Hypnosis for pain control during lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspirations in children with cancer]. / Hypnose ter pijnbestrijding tijdens de lumbaalpunctie en beenmergpunctie bij kinderen met een oncologische aandoening.

Pediatric oncology patients undergo medical treatments which often require repeated lumbar punctures and bone marrow aspirations, in general a painful and anxiety-provoking experience. We offered a few patients the opportunity to volunteer for hypnotic help in pain control. The technique of the hypnosis put in practice is described extensively. With some adaptations it can be used for various diagnostical and/or therapeutical medical examinations that are painful for the child and/or anxiety-provoking.

[Bone marrow biopsy in children with leukemia. Determination and reduction of pain and fear reactions]. / Beenmergpuncties bij kinderen met leukemie. Vaststelling en verlaging van pijn- en angstreacties.

The development and reduction of distress in children with leukemia was studied during a frequently recurring medical procedure, i.e., a bone marrow aspiration (BMA). The role of a number of factors in the development of distress display in children during this procedure was studied. The intensity of distress display was assessed with a behavioral rating scale. The intensity of distress display was found to be independent of the physician who performed the punction, the part of the body to which the punction was administered, the number of previously administered BMA'S, whether the child had to undergo a lumbar puncture after the BMA, and whether the child was sedated. The intensity of distress display varied with age and sex of the child. The intensity of distress display was weaker in older children, but this age effect was stronger for boys than for girls. An experimental program was developed and administered in order to reduce distress display during medical treatment. This program consisted of three parts (relaxation, imagination of a pleasant situation and arousal of the concomitant feelings, as well as watching a model). The experimental program was found to be effective in reducing distress display in children. The amount of reduction was dependent of the number of prior BMA'S (the fewer the prior BMA'S, the greater the decrease) and of the level of pretreatment display of distress (the higher the level, the smaller the decrease.