Does transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) alleviate the pain experienced during bone marrow sampling in addition to standard techniques? A randomised, double-blinded, controlled trial.

AIMS: Bone marrow aspiration and trephine (BMAT) biopsies remain important tests in haematology. However, the procedures can be moderately to severely painful despite standard methods of pain relief. To test the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in alleviating the pain from BMAT in addition to standard analgesia using a numerical pain rating scale (NRS). METHODS: 70 patients requiring BMAT were randomised (1:1) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. -35 patients received TENS impulses at a strong but comfortable amplitude (intervention group) and 35 patients received TENS impulses just above the sensory threshold (control group) (median pulse amplitude 20 and 7 mA, respectively). Patients and operators were blinded to group allocation. Pain assessments were made using a numerical pain scale completed after the procedure. RESULTS: No significant difference in NRS pain recalled after the procedure was detected (median pain score 5.7 (95% CI 4.8 to 6.6) in control vs 5.6 (95% CI 4.8 to 6.4) in the intervention group). However, 100% of patients who had previous experience of BMAT and >94% of participants overall felt they benefited from using TENS and would recommend it to others for this procedure. There were no side effects from the TENS device, and it was well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS: TENS is a safe, non-invasive adjunct to analgesia for reducing pain during bone marrow biopsy and provides a subjective benefit to most users; however, no objective difference in pain scores was detected when using TENS in this randomised controlled study. CLINICAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02005354.

Effects of massage therapy on pain and anxiety arising from intrathecal therapy or bone marrow aspiration in children with cancer.

Cancer and its treatment are stressful and reduce the quality of life in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of massage therapy on pain and anxiety arising from intrathecal therapy or bone marrow aspiration in children with cancer. We conducted a controlled pretest/posttest quasi-experimental study at a paediatric oncology unit in Turkey. Twenty-five children were enrolled in this study. Their pain and anxiety were determined using a visual analogue scale. When the pretest and posttest pain and anxiety levels of the groups were compared, no statistically significant difference was found (P > 0.05). It was determined that pain and anxiety levels in the experimental group decreased significantly. This study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness in children of massage in reducing pain and anxiety arising from intrathecal therapy or bone marrow aspiration.

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.

A randomized trial of hypnosis for relief of pain and anxiety in adult cancer patients undergoing bone marrow procedures.

Pain and anxiety are closely associated with bone marrow aspirates and biopsies. To determine whether hypnosis administered concurrently with the procedure can ameliorate these morbidities, the authors randomly assigned 80 cancer patients undergoing bone marrow aspirates and biopsies to either hypnosis or standard of care. The hypnosis intervention reduced the anxiety associated with procedure, but the difference in pain scores between the two groups was not statistically significant. The authors conclude that brief hypnosis concurrently administered reduces patient anxiety during bone marrow aspirates and biopsies but may not adequately control pain. The authors explain this latter finding as indicating that the sensory component of a patient's pain experience may be of lesser importance than the affective component. The authors describe future studies to clarify their results and address the limitations of this study.

Effects of music therapy on pain and anxiety in patients undergoing bone marrow biopsy and aspiration.

Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration are commonly used for diagnosing, treating, and following up after treatment for blood disorders and solid tumors. For adults, the infiltration of local anesthesia at the biopsy site has been used as the principal form of analgesia for bone marrow biopsy and aspiration. Pain relief during these procedures is often incomplete, especially during aspiration of the bone marrow, and pain is likely to contribute to patient anxiety. Researchers at the Tabriz Hematology and Oncology Center in Iran conducted a study to quantify and evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy interventions on pain and anxiety control for 100 patients undergoing bone marrow biopsy and aspiration. Participants in the study were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group listened to music during the procedure, and the other did not. Patients completed the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory both before and after the procedure and reported pain severity by using a visual analog scale. Results showed that participants who listened to music had lower state anxiety and pain levels than those who did not listen to music.

Midazolam in conjunction with local anaesthesia is superior to Entonox in providing pain relief during bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy.

AIM: To compare intravenous titrated midazolam 5-10 mg and inhaled Entonox in addition to local anaesthesia in order to identify which agent provides optimum pain relief. METHODS: Randomised, controlled trial. 49 patients were recruited, of which 46 were evaluable. 24 and 22 patients were recruited into the Entonox and midazolam arms, respectively. Patient experiences as well as staff observations were recorded with questionnaires after recovery from the procedure and 24 hours later. RESULTS: 45% and 59% of the patients in the midazolam arm could recollect the procedure after 15 minutes and 24 hours, respectively, compared to 96% and 88% who received Entonox. Midazolam provided a more comfortable experience (p<0.01) and improved pain relief (p = 0.01) compared to Entonox immediately after the procedure; this further improved when recalled 24 hours later. Nausea, dizziness and hallucinations were observed with both treatments, but dizziness was significantly more frequent with Entonox (p = 0.048). Clinically relevant respiratory depression (O(2) saturation <90%) occurred in 19% of patients in the midazolam arm; sedation was reversed with flumazenil. CONCLUSION: Midazolam in conjunction with local anaesthesia provides rapid and reversible sedation as well as effective pain relief during bone marrow biopsy, and is superior to Entonox; however, care must be taken to monitor respiratory function.

Performing bone marrow biopsies with or without sedation: a comparison.

Although intravenous sedation (ISED) in addition to a local anaesthetic (LA) is commonly used in the performance of a bone marrow aspirate and trephine (BMAT), it is not clear under what circumstances and in which way sedation may be most beneficial. In this study, information was gathered using a questionnaire, from 112 patients shortly after undergoing BMAT; the duration of the procedures and the length of the biopsy cores were measured and any complications noted. Most patients (68%) chose to receive LA only, and almost all (74/76) were happy with their decision. Patients who received sedation gave lower pain scores than patients receiving LA only (1 vs. 3) and were found to have lower levels of apprehension at the thought of having a repeat procedure. Patients having a repeat BMAT showed a slightly increased preference for having sedation compared with patients who were undergoing it for the first time. There is some concern that guidelines regarding the use of ISED for procedures other than BMAT are not always adhered to, and current practice may be best revealed by a large-scale audit of sedation practice for the performance of BMAT. Patients should be given the choice of having ISED if the appropriate resources are available, but in most cases the additional small risk of receiving sedation can be avoided.

A pathologist's perspective on bone marrow aspiration and biopsy: I. Performing a bone marrow examination.

The bone marrow aspirate and biopsy is an important medical procedure for the diagnosis of hematologic malignancies and other diseases, and for the follow-up evaluation of patients undergoing chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, and other forms of medical therapy. During the procedure, liquid bone marrow is aspirated from the posterior iliac crest or sternum with a special needle, smeared on glass microscope slides by one of several techniques, and stained by the Wright-Giemsa or other techniques for micro-scopic examination. The bone marrow core biopsy is obtained from the posterior iliac crest with a Jamshidi or similar needle and processed in the same manner as other surgical specimens. Flow cytometric examination, cytochemical stains, cytogenetic and molecular analysis, and other diagnostic procedures can be performed on bone marrow aspirate material, while sections prepared from the bone marrow biopsy can be stained by the immunoperoxidase or other techniques. The bone marrow procedure can be performed with a minimum of discomfort to the patient if adequate local anesthesia is utilized. Pain, bleeding, and infection are rare complications of the bone marrow procedure performed at the posterior iliac crest, while death from cardiac tamponade has rarely occurred from the sternal bone marrow aspiration. The recent development of bone marrow biopsy needles with specially sharpened cutting edges and core-securing devices has reduced the discomfort of the procedure and improved the quality of the specimens obtained.