A Cross-cultural Perspective on Intrathecal Opioid Therapy Between German and Iranian Patients.

Patients often adhere to intrathecal opioid therapy (IOT) for many years, despite the lack of scientific evidence for its efficacy and the scarce knowledge about long-term effects. Moreover, there is no knowledge on how the efficacy of IOT is influenced by cultural factors. We assessed the long-term efficacy and frequency of side effects of IOT in two culturally different patient samples. A chart review was conducted of all patients with IOT, who had been treated in interdisciplinary pain centers in Freiburg and in Tehran in a 15-year span. Personal data, diagnosis, duration of pain disease, pump type in use, revision operations, and opioid doses were recorded. Patients completed a questionnaire containing pain scores, pain-related disability (PDI), anxiety, depression, and unwanted side effects. Fourteen Iranian and 36 German patients (32 m/18 f) were studied. Mean duration of IOT was 10.2 years. Pain levels prior to IOT were 7.64 (NRS) (range 4-10, SD 1.64), 3.86 (range 0-9, SD 2.32) directly after pump implantation, and 4.17 (range 0-10, SD 2.11) at time of follow-up. Iranian patients had significantly lower pain levels directly after implantation, depression scores, and pain-related disability. Frequent side effects were obstipation, sexual dysfunction, urinary retention, and fatigue. Most side effects were significantly less frequent in the Iranian sample. There were no severe complications or permanent neurological deficit. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of IOT also for long-term application. Differences in clinical efficacy are partially due to cultural factors. Side effects are frequent but not limiting patient satisfaction.

Outcome of continuous intrathecal opioid therapy for management of chronic pain in Iranian veterans of the imposed Iraq- Iran war.

Among patients with chronic unrelieved pain, war veterans of eight years long Iraq - Iran war deserve especial attention. They not only suffer from severe intractable pain but also should bear some intangible consequences of unrelieved pain and severe disability. This perspective study reviews the outcome of implantation of intrathecal opioid pumps in these patients. Ten war veterans (mean age 43.36) with chronic nonmalignant pain included in this perspective study. Medical records reviewed to identify pain diagnosis, medication intake prior to implantation, details of the intrathecal opioid trial and date of implantation, surgical and technical complications. Outcome measures were global pain relief, physical activity levels, intrathecal opioid side effects, medication consumption and patient satisfaction. Overall pain relief at the time of study was 60%. Mean pain relief was 53%. A majority of patients reported improvements in physical activity levels and were satisfied with this type of therapy. Impotence and constipation were two most common pharmacological side effects. No surgical complication reported. The study showed that this type of therapy in Iranian war veterans improved analgesia, increased self-report physical activity levels and in spite of high incidence of pharmacological side effects, most of the patients were satisfied with this type of therapy. These results are comparable to those of previous studies in this field.