Development of a Management Algorithm for Post-operative Pain (MAPP) after total knee and total hip replacement: study rationale and design.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from clinical practice and the extant literature suggests that post-operative pain assessment and treatment is often suboptimal. Poor pain management is likely to persist until pain management practices become consistent with guidelines developed from the best available scientific evidence. This work will address the priority in healthcare of improving the quality of pain management by standardising evidence-based care processes through the incorporation of an algorithm derived from best evidence into clinical practice. In this paper, the methodology for the creation and implementation of such an algorithm that will focus, in the first instance, on patients who have undergone total hip or knee replacement is described. METHODS: In partnership with clinicians, and based on best available evidence, the aim of the Management Algorithm for Post-operative Pain (MAPP) project is to develop, implement, and evaluate an algorithm designed to support pain management decision-making for patients after orthopaedic surgery. The algorithm will provide guidance for the prescription and administration of multimodal analgesics in the post-operative period, and the treatment of breakthrough pain. The MAPP project is a multisite study with one coordinating hospital and two supporting (rollout) hospitals. The design of this project is a pre-implementation-post-implementation evaluation and will be conducted over three phases. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) framework will be used to guide implementation. Outcome measurements will be taken 10 weeks post-implementation of the MAPP. The primary outcomes are: proportion of patients prescribed multimodal analgesics in accordance with the MAPP; and proportion of patients with moderate to severe pain intensity at rest. These data will be compared to the pre-implementation analgesic prescribing practices and pain outcome measures. A secondary outcome, the efficacy of the MAPP, will be measured by comparing pain intensity scores of patients where the MAPP guidelines were or were not followed. DISCUSSION: The outcomes of this study have relevance for nursing and medical professionals as well as informing health service evaluation. In establishing a framework for the sustainable implementation and evaluation of a standardised approach to post-operative pain management, the findings have implications for clinicians and patients within multiple surgical contexts

Validation of the surgical fear questionnaire in adult patients waiting for elective surgery

Objectives: Because existing instruments for assessing surgical fear seem either too general or too limited, the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) was developed. The aim of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of the SFQ. Methods: Based on existing literature and expert consultation the ten-item SFQ was composed. Data on the SFQ were obtained from 5 prospective studies (N = 3233) in inpatient or day surgery patients. These data were used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis and validity analysis. Results: EFA in Study 1 and 2 revealed a two-factor structure with one factor associated with fear of the short-term consequences of surgery (SFQ-s, item 1-4) and the other factor with fear of the long-term consequences of surgery (SFQ-l, item 5-10). However, in both studies two items of the SFQ-l had low factor loadings. Therefore in Study 3 and 4 the 2-factor structure was tested and confirmed by CFA in an eight-item version of the SFQ. Across all studies significant correlations of the SFQ with pain catastrophizing, state anxiety, and preoperative pain intensity indicated good convergent validity. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) was between 0.765-0.920 (SFQ-total), 0.766-0.877 (SFQ-s), and 0.628-0.899 (SFQ-l). The SFQ proved to be sensitive to detect differences based on age, sex, education level, employment status and preoperative pain intensity. Discussion: The SFQ is a valid and reliable eight-item index of surgical fear consisting of two subscales: fear of the short-term consequences of surgery and fear of the long-term consequences.This study was conducted with departmental funding and supported by a grant from The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (Zon-MW, http://www.zonmw.nl/en/), grant no. 110000007. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Sykepleieres erfaringer med oppstart av non-invasiv ventilasjonsbehandling på sengepost med intermediærstue: En kvalitativ studie

Non-invasiv ventilasjonsbehandling (NIV) er en behandlingsform som kan gjennomføres på sengepost med intermediærstue og er et tiltak som kan avlaste intensivavdelinger. Hensikten med denne studien var å belyse hva sykepleiere vurderer som viktige forutsetninger for vellykket oppstart av NIV-behandling på sengepost med intermediærstue. En kvalitativ metode med et eksplorerende og beskrivende design ble valgt. Det ble gjennomført individuelle, semistrukturerte intervjuer med syv sykepleiere. Datamaterialet ble analysert ved bruk av systematisk tekstkondensering. Sykepleierne vurderte at det å skape en trygg relasjon på pasientens premisser gjennom tilstedeværelse og oppmerksomhet og tilstrekkelig NIV-kompetanse hos sykepleierne som forutsetninger for vellykket oppstart av NIV-behandling. Videre vurderte sykepleierne at vellykket oppstart av NIV-behandling  forutsetter at sykepleiere er i stand til å utføre et bredt spekter av kliniske og etiske vurderinger for å  vurdere pasientens behov og effekt av NIVbehandlingen. Det som er nytt med denne studien er at den beskriver oppstart av NIV-behandling på sengepost med intermediærstue.

Ambulant oppfølgning i hjemmet til eldre kvinner med kols

Introduksjon: Forekomsten av kronisk obstruktiv lungesykdom (kols) er økende hos kvinner og ved stigende alder. Ved forverring av kols kan oppfølgning av sykepleiere i hjemmet være et trygt og gjennomførbart alternativ til at kols-pasienter forblir innlagt i sykehus. Få studier har undersøkt om kols-pasienters helserelaterte livskvalitet endrer seg ved oppfølgning av sykepleiere i hjemmet. Hensikt: Å undersøke om det er en endring i helserelatert livskvalitet hos eldre kvinner med kols etter oppfølging av sykepleier i hjemmet etter sykehusutskrivelse og få kunnskap om hvordan eldre kvinner med kols erfarer oppfølgning av sykepleier i hjemmet. Metode: Utviklingsprosjektet kombinerte kvantitativ og kvalitativ metode. Femten pasienters helserelaterte livskvalitet ble kartlagt på tre måletidspunkter i forbindelse med oppfølgning av sykepleier i hjemmet etter sykehusutskrivelse. Ni av pasientene ble dybdeintervjuet for å få kunnskap om deres erfaringer med å bli fulgt opp av sykepleier i hjemmet. Resultater: Pasientenes helserelaterte livskvalitet endret seg ikke signifikant i prosjektperioden. Tre temaer trådde frem i den kvalitative tekstanalysen: den personlige relasjonen til sykepleierne, kontinuitet i undervisning og veiledning fra sykepleierne og eget sosiale nettverk. Konklusjon: Resultatene fra prosjektet støtter implementering av ambulant oppfølgning hjemme for eldre kvinner med kols

Risk factors for moderate and severe persistent pain in patients undergoing total knee and hip arthroplasty : a prospective predictive study

Persistent post-surgical pain (PPSP) is a major clinical problem with significant individual, social and health care costs. The aim of this study was to examine the joint role of demographic, clinical and psychological risk factors in the development of moderate and severe PPSP after Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty (TKA and THA, respectively). This was a prospective study wherein a consecutive sample of 92 patients were assessed 24 hours before (T1), 48 hours after (T2) and 4-6 months (T3) after surgery. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of moderate and severe levels of PPSP. Four to six months after TKA and THA, 54 patients (58.7%) reported none or mild pain (Numerical Rating Scale: NRS 3). In the final multivariate hierarchical logistic regression analyses, illness representations concerning the condition leading to surgery (osteoarthritis), such as a chronic timeline perception of the disease, emerged as a significant predictor of PPSP. Additionally, post-surgical anxiety also showed a predictive role in the development of PPSP. Pre-surgical pain was the most significant clinical predictive factor and, as expected, undergoing TKA was associated with greater odds of PPSP development than THA. The findings on PPSP predictors after major joint arthroplasties can guide clinical practice in terms of considering cognitive and emotional factors, together with clinical factors, in planning acute pain management before and after surgery.This work was supported by a Project grant (PTDC/SAU-NEU/108557/2008) and by a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/36368/2007) from the Portuguese Foundation of Science and Technology, COMPETE and FEDER. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript