ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of use of the 3 analgesic steps of the WHO in patients with chronic osteomuscular pain at 2 primary care centres, by means of personal interviews during the second semester of 2003 and first of 2004. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study. SETTING: Health centres of Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia) and Alto Palancia (Castellón), Spain. PARTICIPANTS: Three-hundred and twenty users of the above centres with chronic osteomuscular pain. METHOD: Systematic random sampling of the patients. Data collected from clinical histories and personal interviews. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent (38.7%) of the patients did not take medication to control pain or did so at insufficient doses; 54.7% used drugs of the first step of the WHO; and 6.6%, of the second. There were no patients in treatment with strong opioids. Significant differences at the time of prescribing the different analgesic treatments existed, depending on sex, educational background and patients' job. The characteristics of chronic pain (aetiology and duration of symptoms) also affected the therapy decision. There was a tendency to prescribe more analgesic as pain intensified. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high percentage of the population without any treatment for chronic osteomuscular pain. Opioid analgesics are under-used to treat pain.
Subject(s)
Analgesics/therapeutic use , Musculoskeletal Diseases/drug therapy , Pain/drug therapy , Chronic Disease , Cross-Sectional Studies , Drug Utilization/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Objetivo. Describir la prevalencia de uso de los 3 escalones analgésicos de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) en los pacientes con dolor crónico osteomuscular en 2 centros de atención primaria mediante entrevistas personales durante el segundo semestre de 2003 y el primero de 2004. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, observacional, transversal. Emplazamiento. Centros de Salud de Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia) y Alto Palancia (Castellón). Participantes. Participaron 320 usuarios de los citados centros con dolor osteomuscular crónico. Método. Muestreo aleatorio, sistemático, de los pacientes. Datos obtenidos a partir de las historias clínicas y entrevistas personales. Resultados. El 38,7% de los pacientes no tomaba ninguna medicación para el control del dolor o lo hacían en dosis insuficientes. El 54,7% empleó fármacos del primer escalón de la OMS y el 6,6%, del segundo. No hubo ningún paciente en tratamiento con opioides mayores. Hay diferencias significativas a la hora de pautar los distintos tratamientos analgésicos según el sexo, el nivel de estudios y la actividad laboral de los pacientes. Las características del dolor crónico (causa y duración de los síntomas) también influyen en la decisión terapéutica. Hay una tendencia creciente a la prescripción de analgésicos según aumenta la intensidad del dolor. Conclusiones. Hay un elevado porcentaje de la población sin tratamiento para el dolor crónico osteomuscular. Se constata una infrautilización de los analgésicos opioides para el tratamiento del dolor
Objective. To describe the prevalence of use of the 3 analgesic steps of the WHO in patients with chronic osteomuscular pain at 2 primary care centres, by means of personal interviews during the second semester of 2003 and first of 2004. Design. Cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study. Setting. Health centres of Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia) and Alto Palancia (Castellón), Spain. Participants. Three-hundred and twenty users of the above centres with chronic osteomuscular pain. Method. Systematic random sampling of the patients. Data collected from clinical histories and personal interviews. Results. Thirty-eight percent (38.7%) of the patients did not take medication to control pain or did so at insufficient doses; 54.7% used drugs of the first step of the WHO; and 6.6%, of the second. There were no patients in treatment with strong opioids. Significant differences at the time of prescribing the different analgesic treatments existed, depending on sex, educational background and patients' job. The characteristics of chronic pain (aetiology and duration of symptoms) also affected the therapy decision. There was a tendency to prescribe more analgesic as pain intensified. Conclusions. There is a high percentage of the population without any treatment for chronic osteomuscular pain. Opioid analgesics are under-used to treat pain
Subject(s)
Humans , Pain, Intractable/drug therapy , Pain Threshold , Analgesics/administration & dosage , Musculoskeletal Diseases/complications , Arthralgia/drug therapy , Sickness Impact Profile , Epidemiology, DescriptiveABSTRACT
Fundamento y objetivo: Valorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes con dolor crónico osteomuscular usuarios de dos centros de atención primaria, mediante la aplicación del cuestionario COOP-WONCA adaptado al español durante el segundo semestre de 2003 y el primero de 2004. Material y métodos: Diseño descriptivo observacional transversal. Muestra aleatoria sistemática. 320 usuarios de los CS del Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia) y del Alto Palancia (Castellón) con dolor crónico de origen osteomuscular. Recogida de datos a partir de la aplicación del cuestionario COOP-WONCA adaptado al español. Resultados: La percepción subjetiva de salud de la gran mayoría de nuestra población es regular o mala. Mayor deterioro del estado físico que del mental. Mal control farmacológico del dolor. Conclusiones: El dolor osteomuscular crónico tiene una marcada repercusión sobre la calidad de vida(AU)
Background and objective: To value the quality of life of the patients with osteomuscular chronic pain users of two Primary Care Centres, by means of the application of questionnaire COOP-WONCA adapted to the Spanish during the second semester of 2003 and first of 2004. Material and methods: Cross-sectional observational descriptive design. Systematic random sample. 320 users of the Health Centres of Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia) and Alto Palancia (Castellón) that suffer chronic pain of osteomuscular origin. Collection of data from the application of Questionnaire COOP-WONCA adapted to Spanish. Results: The subjective perception of health of the great majority of our population is regular or bad. Greater deterioration of the physical state than of the mental one. Badly pharmacologic control of pain. Conclusions: The musculoskeletal chronic pain has a noticeable repercussion on the quality of life(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Pain/psychology , Osteoarthritis/complications , Quality of Life , Psychometrics/instrumentation , Low Back Pain/complications , Analgesia , Epidemiology, DescriptiveABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To value the quality of life of the patients with osteomuscular chronic pain users of two Primary Care Centres, by means of the application of questionnaire COOP-WONCA adapted to the Spanish during the second semester of 2003 and first of 2004. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional observational descriptive design. Systematic random sample. 320 users of the Health Centres of Puerto de Sagunto (Valencia) and Alto Palancia (Castellón) that suffer chronic pain of osteomuscular origin. Collection of data from the application of Questionnaire COOP-WONCA adapted to Spanish. RESULTS: The subjective perception of health of the great majority of our population is regular or bad. Greater deterioration of the physical state than of the mental one. Badly pharmacologic control of pain. CONCLUSIONS: The musculoskeletal chronic pain has a noticeable repercussion on the quality of life.