A case-control study examining inconsistencies in pain management following fractured neck of femur: an inferior analgesia for the cognitively impaired

COVID-19-related adaptations to the implementation and evaluation of a clinic-based intervention designed to improve opioid safety

The United States faces an opioid crisis with an unprecedented and increasing death rate from opioid overdose. Successfully reducing the rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and overdose will require the engagement of frontline clinicians to prescribe opioids more safely and to build their capacity to treat patients with OUD using evidence-based approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges for patients, clinicians and health systems and has been associated with increasing risks of overdoses and deaths. Herein, we review a multidisciplinary project designed to implement and evaluate clinic-based interventions in Oregon, USA, to improve pain management, opioid prescribing and treatment of OUD. The intervention, called Improving PaIn aNd OPiOId MaNagemenT in Primary Care (PINPOINT), combines practice facilitation, academic detailing and education through the Oregon ECHO Network. Implementation of PINPOINT has occurred across the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network and has involved 49 clinic sites to date. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, the research team created the Provider Results of Opioid Management and Prescribing Training (PROMPT), a dataset that links information from the state prescription drug monitoring program, all-payer claims database, emergency medical services, vital records and substance use disorder treatment system. The PROMPT dataset will allow evaluation of the impact of the intervention at both the clinician and clinic levels. Due to the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, elements of both implementation and evaluation required significant adaptations to continue to meet the original project goals.

Cognitive impairment and pain relief following hip fractures: a case control study

Hip fractures represent a significant workload of both emergency and orthopaedic departments within the National Health Service (NHS). Pain relief is key in treating hip fractures as highlighted by both National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) and British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma (BOAST) guidelines. However, the literature shows that patients with cognitive impairment tend to have inconsistent pain management, leading to worse outcomes. We conducted a case–control study looking at 296 patients who presented with hip fractures to a major trauma centre between 1 December 2019 and 30 May 2020. Cognition was assessed using pre-recorded Abbreviated Mental Test Scores (AMTS). There was no significant difference between pain relief provided to patients with or without cognitive impairment in both the pre-hospital (p = 0.208) and Accident & Emergency (A&E) (p = 0.154) setting. A larger proportion of patients in A&E did not receive any pain relief (18.6% versus 42.2%). Pre-hospital, the higher the pain score, the stronger the analgesia given (R = 0.435, p = 0.000). This relationship was present in both the cognitively impaired (R = 0.572, p = 0.000) and cognitively intact groups (R = 0.390 p = 0.000). Strength of analgesia and pain scores did not correlate in A&E (R = 0.014, p = 0.826). Cognition did not impact the time to analgesia both pre-hospital (p = 0.291) and in A&E (p = 0.332); however, patients waited significantly longer to receive pain relief in A&E (29.61 minutes versus 150.28 minutes). Fascia-iliaca blocks were administered to 58.4% of the cohort, with no significant difference noted between cognition status. Overall, cognition does not impact pain management both pre-hospital and in A&E. There is still room for improvement, particularly in the assessment of pain in the cognitively impaired. A possible solution is the utilisation of the Bolton Pain Assessment Tool, a validated pain assessment tool for the cognitively impaired that has been utilised in the trauma setting with good effect.

Access Barrier in Rural Older Adults' Use of Pain Management and Palliative Care Services: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Pain and symptom management is critical in ensuring quality of life for chronically ill older adults. However, while pain management and palliative care have steadily expanded in recent years, many underserved populations, such as rural older adults, experience barriers in accessing such specialty services, in part due to transportation issues. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the specific types of transportation-related barriers experienced by rural older adults in accessing pain and palliative care.

METHODS

Studies were searched through the following 10 databases: Abstracts in Social Gerontology, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SocINDEX with Full Text, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Nursing & Allied Health Database, Sociological Abstracts, and PubMED. Studies were chosen for initial review if they were written in English, full text, included older adults in the sample, and examined pain/palliative care/hospice, rural areas, and transportation. A total of 174 abstracts were initially screened, 15 articles received full-text reviews and 8 met the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Findings of the 8 studies identified transportation-related issues as major access barrier to pain and palliative care among rural older adults: specifically, lack of public transportation; lack of wheelchair accessible vehicles; lack of reliable drivers; high cost of transportation services; poor road conditions; and remoteness to the closest pain and palliative care service providers.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that rural older adults have unique transportation needs due to the urban-centric location of pain and palliative care services. Implications for practice, policy and research with older adults are discussed.

Disparities in Acute Pain Treatment by Cognitive Status in Older Adults With Hip Fracture

BACKGROUND

We examined the disparities in emergency department (ED) pain treatment based on cognitive status in older adults with an acute hip fracture.

METHODS

Observational study in an academic ED in the Bronx, New York. One hundred forty-four adults aged 65 years and older with acute hip fracture were administered the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) while in the ED. The primary outcome was receipt of any parenteral analgesic. The risk factor of interest was cognitive impairment (TICS ≤ 25). Secondary outcomes included receipt of any opioid, receipt of any analgesic, total dose of analgesics in intravenous morphine equivalent units (MEQ), and time to receiving first analgesic.

RESULTS

Of the 87 (60%) study patients who were cognitively impaired, 60% received a parenteral analgesic compared to 79% of the 57 cognitively unimpaired patients (RR 0.76 [95% CI 0.61, 0.94]). The effect of cognitive impairment on receiving any opioids (RR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.67, 0.98) and any analgesic (RR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.71, 1.01) was similar. The median analgesic dose in cognitively impaired patients was significantly lower than in cognitively unimpaired patients (4 MEQ vs 8 MEQ, p = .003).

CONCLUSION

Among older adults presenting to the ED with acute hip fracture, cognitive impairment was independently associated with lower likelihood of receiving analgesia and lower amount of opioid analgesia.

Educational intervention to improve palliative care knowledge among informal caregivers of cognitively impaired older adults

OBJECTIVE

Lack of palliative care knowledge among caregivers may pose an access barrier for cognitively impaired older adults, who may benefit from the specialized care. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of an educational intervention in improving palliative care knowledge among informal caregivers of cognitively impaired older adults.

METHOD

Using a one-group, pre- and post-test intervention design, this study implemented an individual, face-to-face educational intervention with an informational brochure for 43 informal caregivers of chronically or seriously ill older adults (50+) with cognitive impairment, recruited from communities in West Alabama. Their level of knowledge about palliative care was assessed by the Palliative Care Knowledge Scale (PaCKS). The pre- and post-test scores were compared by the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, and the racial subgroup (Whites vs. Blacks) comparison was made by the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-test scores (z = 5.38, p < 0.001), indicating a statistically significant effect of the educational intervention in improving palliative care knowledge among participants. There was a significant difference (U = 143, p < 0.05) between Whites and Blacks in the pre-test, which, however, disappeared in the post-test (U = 173.50, p > 0.05), suggesting that the amount of increased PaCKS scores were significantly greater for Blacks (Mdn = 9.50) than for Whites (Mdn = 4.00, U = 130.50, p < 0.05).

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

This study demonstrated that a one-time educational intervention can improve the level of palliative care knowledge among informal caregivers of chronically or seriously ill older adults with cognitive impairment, particularly among Black caregivers. Therefore, further educational efforts can be made to promote palliative care knowledge and reduce racial disparities in palliative care knowledge and its use.

Prevalence of Pain on Admission by Level of Cognitive Impairment in Nursing Homes

PURPOSE

To provide contemporary estimates of pain by level of cognitive impairment among US nursing home residents without cancer.

METHODS

Newly admitted US nursing home residents without cancer assessed with the Minimum Data Set 3.0 at admission (2010-2016) were eligible (n=8,613,080). The Cognitive Function Scale was used to categorize level of cognitive impairment. Self-report or staff-assessed pain was used based on a 5-day look-back period. Estimates of adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were derived from modified Poisson models.

RESULTS

Documented prevalence of pain decreased with increased levels of cognitive impairment in those who self-reported pain (68.9% no/mild, 32.9% severe) and those with staff-assessed pain (50.6% no/mild, 37.2% severe staff-assessed pain). Relative to residents with no/mild cognitive impairment, pharmacologic pain management was less prevalent in those with severe cognitive impairment (self-reported: 51.3% severe vs 76.9% in those with no/mild; staff assessed: 52.0% severe vs 67.7% no/mild).

CONCLUSION

Pain was less frequently documented in those with severe cognitive impairment relative to those with no/mild impairments. Failure to identify pain may result in untreated or undertreated pain. Interventions to improve evaluation of pain in nursing home residents with cognitive impairment are needed.

Use of analgesics in acute stroke patients with inability to self-report pain: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Pain is a common and burdensome complication in patients with acute stroke. We assessed the impact of impaired communication in stroke patients on pain assessment and treatment.

METHODS

We included 909 (507 male, mean age 71.8 years) patients admitted to our stroke unit from 01/2015 to 12/2015 in the analysis. Patients were assigned to four groups: able to communicate (AC), not able to communicate prior to index stroke (P-NAC), due to focal symptoms of index stroke (S-NAC), due to a reduced level of consciousness (C-NAC). Pain prevalence, documentation of pain and use of analgesics were evaluated. C-NAC patients were excluded from analyses regarding analgesic treatment due to relevant differences in patient characteristics.

RESULTS

746 patients (82.1%) were classified as AC, 25 (2.8%) as P-NAC, 90 (9.9%) as S-NAC and 48 (5.3%) as C-NAC. Pain was documented on the Numeric Rating Scale and in form of free text by nurses and physicians. Nurses documented pain more frequently than physicians (p < 0.001). Pain prevalence was 47.0% (n.s. between groups). The use of analgesic medication increased from 48.7% in the AC group, to 76.0% in the P-NAC group, and 77.8% in the S-NAC group (p < 0.001). Opioid use was significantly more frequent in NAC patients (p < 0.001). The response to the treatment was poorly documented with significantly lowest rates in S-NAC patients (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that post-stroke pain in patients with inability to communicate is not attended enough, not systematically assessed and therefore not sufficiently treated.

Fascia iliaca compartment block as a preoperative analgesic in elderly patients with hip fractures - effects on cognition

BACKGROUND

Impaired cognition is a major risk factor for perioperative delirium. It is essential to provide good pain control in patients with hip fractures and especially important in patients with severely impaired cognitive status, as they receive less pain medication, have poorer mobility, poorer quality of life and higher mortality than patients with intact cognition. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between preoperative pain management with nerve blocks and cognitive status in patients with hip fractures during the perioperative period.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty-seven patients with hip fractures participating in a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial were included in this study. At hospital admission, a low-dose fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) was administered as a supplement to regular analgesia. Cognitive status was registered on arrival at hospital before FICB and on the first postoperative day using the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Changes in cognitive status from arrival at hospital to the first postoperative day showed a positive, albeit not significant, trend in favour of the intervention group. The results also showed that patients with no or a moderate cognitive impairment received 50% more prehospital pain medication than patients with a severe cognitive impairment. FICB was well tolerated in patients with hip fractures.

CONCLUSION

Fascia iliaca compartment block given to patients with hip fractures did not affect cognitive status in this study. Patients with a cognitive impairment may receive inadequate pain relief after hip fracture and this discrimination needs to be addressed in further studies.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

EudraCT number 2008-004303-59 date of registration: 2008-10-24.

The silent epidemic of chronic pain in older adults

Chronic pain is highly prevalent among older adults where it is associated with significant suffering, disability, social isolation, and greater costs and burden to health care systems. Pharmaceutical treatment of chronic pain in older adults is usually only partially effective and is often limited by side effects including urinary retention, constipation, sedation, cognitive impairment, and increased risk of falls. Since older adults are underrepresented in clinical trials testing treatments for chronic pain, the potential impacts of polypharmacy and frailty on reported outcomes and side effect profiles are largely unknown. Thus, for current treatments, providers and patients must balance anticipated benefits of pain reduction with the known and unknown risks of treatment. Chronic pain is also a risk factor for premature death as well as accelerated cognitive decline, suggesting potential shared mechanisms between persistent pain (or its treatment) and dementia. Cognitive decline and dementia may also impact pain perception and the ability to report pain, complicating treatment decisions. Associations between persistent pain and the risks of premature death and accelerated cognitive decline make estimates for chronic pain in these populations particularly challenging. Future research is needed to improve estimates for chronic pain in older adults, to elucidate underlying mechanisms of pain with aging, and to develop and advance safer, more effective treatment options for chronic pain in older adults.

Influence of cognitive impairment on pain assessment and management in the emergency department: A retrospective cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To quantify the impact of cognitive impairment on pain assessment and management practices in the ED.

METHODS

A retrospective, cross-sectional study of patient records was conducted for all elderly patients (65 years or older) who presented to the ED of a large Western Australian tertiary hospital with a fracture because of a fall between 6 February and 14 December 2015. Of 327 records identified, 318 were suitable for data extraction. Of these, 120 patients had a cognitive impairment. Primary outcome measures were the method and frequency of pain assessment, and the delay to the administration of a pain intervention after pain was first assessed for patients with and without a cognitive impairment.

RESULTS

Patients with a cognitive impairment were less likely to have their pain assessed with a standardised pain assessment tool (55% vs 91.4%, P < 0.001), and 9.4 times more likely to have their pain assessed using ad hoc assessments only (95% confidence interval 4.6-19.1). The median time between ED presentation and a patient's first pain assessment was longer for patients with cognitive impairment (28 vs 17 min; P < 0.001), as was the time between repeat assessments (81 vs 62 min; P < 0.004). The median times to receive a pain intervention following pain assessment were 51 and 50 min for cognitively intact and impaired patients, respectively (P = 0.209, after adjustment for the first pain score).

CONCLUSION

Pain is inadequately and inappropriately assessed for elderly patients with a cognitive impairment in the ED, resulting in delays in initiation of pain management.

Pain, aging and dementia: Towards a biopsychosocial model

Dementia is a progressive disease associated with irreversible impairment and loss of cognitive abilities. About half of older people with dementia experience pain. In this paper, we propose that pain in older people with dementia can be conceptualized as the final result of the interaction of three heterogeneous phenomena, pain, aging, and dementia, which are created and influenced by the interactions of predisposing, lifelong, and current biopsychosocial factors. We review pain assessment in people with dementia using both self-report and observational/behavioral measures. We then review the biological/sensory, psychological (cognitive and affective) and social dimensions of pain in dementia. The available data suggest that dementia does not impact pain threshold or tolerance. To date, there is little research on the social dimension of pain in dementia. Changes in the affective domain in response to experimental pain have been contradictory with evidence supporting both increased and decreased unpleasantness and emotional responsiveness in people with dementia compared to healthy controls. Clinically, depression is a significant burden for older people with dementia and chronic pain. The relationship between pain and other neuropsychiatric symptoms is controversial, and there is insufficient evidence on which to base conclusions. Some of the most important dementia-related changes may arise in the cognitive domain, including impairments of semantic and episodic memory for pain, executive function, and pain anticipation. Changes in brain activation and interconnectivity support many of these conclusions. Despite methodological limitations, we conclude there are compelling preliminary data to support a biopsychosocial framework of pain and dementia. Future research directions, especially the need for improved assessment tools, are highlighted.

Pain Assessment of Elderly Patients with Cognitive Impairment in the Emergency Department: Implications for Pain Management-A Narrative Review of Current Practices

Elderly people are susceptible to both falls and cognitive impairment making them a particularly vulnerable group of patients when it comes to pain assessment and management in the emergency department (ED). Pain assessment is often difficult in patients who present to the ED with a cognitive impairment as they are frequently unable to self-report their level of pain, which can have a negative impact on pain management. This paper aims to review how cognitive impairment influences pain assessment in elderly adults who present to the ED with an injury due to a fall. A literature search of EMBASE, ProQuest, PubMed, Science Direct, SciFinder and the Curtin University Library database was conducted using keyword searches to generate lists of articles which were then screened for relevance by title and then abstract to give a final list of articles for full-text review. Further articles were identified by snowballing from the reference lists of the full-text articles. The literature reports that ED staff commonly use visual or verbal analogue scales to assess pain, but resort to their own intuition or physiological parameters rather than using standardised observational pain assessment tools when self-report of pain is not attainable due to cognitive impairment. While studies have found that the use of pain assessment tools improves the recognition and management of pain, pain scores are often not recorded for elderly patients with a cognitive impairment in the ED, leading to poorer pain management in this patient group in terms of time to analgesic administration and the use of strong opioids. All healthcare professionals involved in the care of such patients, including pharmacists, need to be aware of this and strive to ensure analgesic use is guided by appropriate and accurate pain assessment in the ED.

Drug-based pain management for people with dementia after hip or pelvic fractures: a systematic review

Background

Studies indicate that people with dementia do not receive the same amount of analgesia after a hip or pelvic fracture compared to those without cognitive impairment. However, there is no systematic review that shows to what extent drug-based pain management is performed for people with dementia following a hip or pelvic fracture.

The aim of this systematic review was to identify and analyse studies that investigate drug-based pain management for people with dementia with a hip or pelvic fracture in all settings. Treatment could be surgical or conservative. We also analysed study designs, methods and variables, as well as which assessments were applied to measure pain management and mental status.

Method/design

The development of this systematic review protocol was guided by the PRISMA-P requirements, which were taken into consideration during the review procedures. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Knowledge and ScienceDirect were searched. Studies published up to January 2016 were included. The data extraction, content and quantitative descriptive analysis were carried out systematically, followed by a critical appraisal.

Results

Eight of the 13 included studies focusing on patient data showed that people with dementia received less drug-based pain management than people without cognitive impairment. Four studies based on surveys of healthcare professionals stated that cognitive impairment is a major barrier for effective pain management. There was heterogeneity regarding the assessment of the mental status and the pain assessment of the patients. The assessment of the drugs administered in all of the studies working with patient data was achieved through chart reviews.

Conclusion

People with dementia do not seem to receive the same amount of opioid analgesics after hip fracture as people without cognitive impairment. There is need to enhance pain assessment and management for these patients. Future research should pay more attention to the use of the appropriate items for assessing cognitive impairment and pain in people with dementia.

Trial registration

This systematic review was registered at Prospero (CRD42016037309); on 11 April 2016, and the systematic review protocol was published (Syst Rev. 5(1):1, 2016).

Prehospital intravenous fentanyl to patients with hip fracture: an observational cohort study of risk factors for analgesic non-treatment

BACKGROUND

Patients with proximal femoral neck fracture have a high short-term mortality, a high risk of postoperative complications, and impaired quality of life. One of the challenges related to the prehospital treatment of these patients is to administer systemic opioids fast and properly. Effective analgesic prehospital treatment ought be initiated rapidly in order to alleviate the stress that follows acute pain, to facilitate transportation, and to improve quality of care. The objectives of this study were to explore the prevalence of prehospital administration of intravenous fentanyl to patients with proximal femoral neck fracture in the ambulances and to assess risk factors for analgesic non-treatment.

METHODS

This was a register-based observational cohort study of patients with proximal femoral neck fracture from the North Denmark Region transported by ambulance. The patients were identified via the Danish Interdisciplinary Hip Fracture Registry over a 3-year period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2014. This hospital registry contains data on several patient characteristics used for the risk factor analysis. Data on prehospital treatment (intravenous fentanyl) and patient monitoring were registered in an electronic prehospital patient record. A modified Poisson regression with robust standard errors was carried out with intravenous fentanyl as the primary binary outcome and the following explanatory variables: age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, housing, body mass index, type of fracture, fracture displacement, prior consultation with general practitioner, dispatch triage level, and time with ambulance personnel.

RESULTS

In total, 2,140 patients with proximal femoral neck fracture were transported by ambulance, of which 584 (27.3%, 95% CI: 25.4-29.2) were treated with intravenous fentanyl. Risk factors for non-treatment were: older age, male sex (RR 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64-0.91), institutional housing (RR 0.72, 95% CI: 0.56-0.92), medial fracture (RR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.60-0.92), short time with ambulance personnel, Charlson Comorbidity Index score > 1, year of fracture (2011), low levels of urgency at dispatch, and if seen by general practitioners prior to transport.

DISCUSSION

Education of ambulance personnel in assessing and treating patients with hip fracture seems to be required. Also, future studies should consider alternative or supportive pain treatment options with suitable analgesic effects and side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Few patients with proximal femoral neck fracture were treated with intravenous fentanyl, and several risk factors were associated with prehospital analgesic non-treatment. Future prospective studies should explore covariates of socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological origin to provide further insight into the multifactorial causes of non-treatment of acute pain.

A Chinese Herbal Decoction, Shaoyao-Gancao Tang, Exerts Analgesic Effect by Down-Regulating the TRPV1 Channel in a Rat Model of Arthritic Pain

Shaoyao-Gancao Tang (SGT) is one of the most frequently used compound formulas in the treatment of pain-related diseases in the medical practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). To investigate the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects, as well as to uncover the molecular mechanism of SGT, the rat pain model of arthritis was experimentally induced by single unilateral injection of rats' left hind paw with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). SGT was orally administered to the rats daily at three doses individually for a period of 16 days post-model induction. Swollen degrees and pain thresholds of the rats in different groups were measured for evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of SGT. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of transient receptor potential ion channel protein vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) channel as well as its calcium-mediating function in the isolated DRG neurons were further detected to provide indexes for exploration of the molecular mechanisms mediating anti-arthritic activities of SGT. As a result, FCA injection induced significant allodynia, inflammation and edema, accompanied by a significant increase in both expression and calcium-mediating function of the TRPV1 channel. Pharmacologically, oral administration of SGT at a high or middle dose demonstrated a significant relief from the above-mentioned pathological conditions in a dose-dependent manner. Simultaneously the mRNA and protein expressional levels of TRPV1 channel, as well as its calcium-mediating function, were down-regulated greatly. These findings suggest that SGT possesses a significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis rats; its therapeutic activities might be achieved through reversing the elevated expression and function of TRPV1 channel evoked by FCA.