Experiences with and needs for aftercare following the death of a loved one in the ICU: a mixed-methods study among bereaved relatives.

BACKGROUND: Bereaved relatives of intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at increased risk of psychological complaints. Aftercare might help them cope with processing the ICU admission and their loved one's death. There is little (qualitative) evidence on how bereaved relatives experience aftercare. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic likely impacted aftercare provision. We aim to examine how many relatives in Dutch ICUs received aftercare before and during the pandemic and to qualitatively describe their experiences and needs regarding aftercare. METHODS: A mixed-methods study among relatives of patients who died in an ICU before or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bereaved relatives in six ICUs completed a questionnaire (n = 90), including two items on aftercare. These were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests. Subsequently, both relatives that received and relatives that did not receive aftercare were interviewed about their experiences and needs regarding aftercare. The interviews were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: After the passing of a loved one, 44% of the relatives were asked by a healthcare professional from the hospital how they were doing, and 26% had had a follow-up conversation. Both happened more often during the first wave of the pandemic than during the second wave or before the pandemic. The most common reason for not having had a follow-up conversation was not knowing about this option (44%), followed by not feeling a need (26%). Regarding the latter, interviewed relatives explained that this would not revive their loved one or that they had already discussed everything they wanted. Relatives who wanted a follow-up conversation, wanted this because this would help them realize the severity of their loved one's illness, to exchange personal experiences, and/or to thank the ICU team. Those with a follow-up conversation said that they had reviewed the medical course of the admission and/or discussed their (mental) well-being. CONCLUSIONS: ICU healthcare professionals may play a vital role in addressing aftercare needs by asking relatives how they are doing in the weeks following the death of their loved one and offering them a follow-up conversation with an ICU physician. We recommend to include aftercare for bereaved relatives in ICU guidelines.

Varying (preferred) levels of involvement in treatment decision-making in the intensive care unit before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study among relatives.

BACKGROUND: In the intensive care unit (ICU) relatives play a crucial role as surrogate decision-makers, since most patients cannot communicate due to their illness and treatment. Their level of involvement in decision-making can affect their psychological well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, relatives' involvement probably changed. We aim to investigate relatives' involvement in decision-making in the ICU before and during the pandemic and their experiences and preferences in this regard. METHODS: A mixed-methods study among relatives of ICU patients admitted to an ICU before or during the COVID-19 pandemic. Relatives in six ICUs completed a questionnaire (n = 329), including two items on decision-making. These were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. Subsequently, relatives (n = 24) were interviewed about their experiences and preferences regarding decision-making. Thematic analysis was used for analysing the qualitative data. RESULTS: Nearly 55% of the relatives indicated they were at least occasionally asked to be involved in important treatment decisions and of these relatives 97.1% reported to have had enough time to discuss questions and concerns when important decisions were to be made. During the first COVID-19 wave relatives were significantly less likely to be involved in decision-making compared to relatives from pre-COVID-19. The interviews showed that involvement varied from being informed about an already made decision to deliberation about the best treatment option. Preferences for involvement also varied, with some relatives preferring no involvement due to a perceived lack of expertise and others preferring an active role as the patient's advocate. Discussing a patient's quality of life was appreciated by relatives, and according to relatives healthcare professionals also found this valuable. In some cases the preferred and actual involvement was in discordance, preferring either a larger or a smaller role. CONCLUSIONS: As treatment alignment with a patient's values and preferences and accordance between preferred and actual involvement in decision-making is very important, we suggest that the treatment decision-making process should start with discussions about a patient's quality of life, followed by tailoring the process to relatives' preferences as much as possible. Healthcare professionals should be aware of relatives' heterogeneous and possibly changing preferences regarding the decision-making process.

Chronic temporomandibular disorder pain patients with a history of neuropathic pain treatment: a narrative research on their diagnosis and treatment history.

The aims of this qualitative research were (1) to gain more insight in the diagnostic and treatment history of patients with chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain; (2) to get a deeper understanding of possible factors that are involved in the possible delay in setting a TMD-pain diagnosis and receiving appropriate treatment; and (3) to get a deeper understanding of the perspectives and experiences of chronic TMD-pain patients on the possible improvement of various aspects of their diagnostic and treatment journey.MethodsIn this narrative research, semi-structured interviews took place with patients who experienced chronic orofacial pain (OFP) for at least three years before getting diagnosed with, and treated for, TMD pain by an OFP specialist in an interprofessional setting.ResultsIn total, ten patients were interviewed in-depth. Patients experienced their chronic OFP in different ways, but all reported a significant impact of their pain on their quality of life. All patients visited numerous health care professionals before their TMD diagnosis was set. Among others, they underwent anti-neuropathic pain medication therapies and invasive surgeries, which did not significantly reduce their chronic OFP. The interprofessional TMD-pain treatment reduced the suffering of the chronic OFP substantially, also 6 months after the start of therapy, and improved the quality of life for all patients. In most of them, the OFP intensity was also decreased.ConclusionChronic TMD-pain patients with a history of neuropathic pain treatment may experience a long journey until receiving the appropriate diagnosis and treatment. This stresses the need to improve the implementation of chronic TMD-pain guidelines.

Pulsed radiofrequency or surgery for anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome: Long-term results of a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Patients with anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) often require a step-up treatment strategy including abdominal wall injections, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) or a neurectomy. Long-term success rates of PRF and surgery are largely unknown. The aim of the current study was to report on the long-term efficacy of PRF and neurectomy in ACNES patients who earlier participated in the randomized controlled PULSE trial. METHODS: Patients who completed the PULSE trial were contacted about pain status and additional treatments in the following years. Treatment success was based on numerical rating scale (NRS) following IMMPACT recommendations and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scores. RESULTS: A total of 44 of the original 60 patients were eligible for analysis (73.3%). Median follow-up was 71.5 months. One patient (4.3%) was still free of pain after a single PRF session, and five additional patients (21.7%) were free of pain by repetitive PRF treatments. By contrast, 13 patients (61.9%) in the neurectomy group were still free of pain without additional treatments. All pain recurrences and therefore primary re-interventions occurred in the first 2 years after the initial treatment. CONCLUSION: Approximately one in five ACNES patients undergoing PRF treatment reports long-term success obviating the need of surgical intervention. Surgery for ACNES is long-term effective in approximately two of three operated patients. Recurrent ACNES beyond 2 years after either intervention is rare.

A Tool for Deprescribing Antithrombotic Medication in Palliative Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Evaluation.

Treating palliative cancer patients with antithrombotics is challenging because of the higher risk for both venous thromboembolism and major bleeding. There is a lack of available guidelines on deprescribing potentially inappropriate antithrombotics. We have therefore created an antithrombotics scheme to aid in (de)prescribing antithrombotics. A retrospective single-center clinical cohort observational study was performed to evaluate it. Patients with solid tumors with a life expectancy of less than 3 months seen by the palliative team were included. Comparisons were made between patients who were treated according to the antithrombotics scheme and those who were not. 47.6% of patients used antithrombotics. One hundred and eleven patients were included for analysis. Most patients used antithrombotics according to the scheme (n = 80, 72.1%). Eleven patients experienced a clinical event, seven patients in the scheme adherence group (9.9%) and four in the no scheme adherence group (13.8%), which was not statistically significant (p = 0.726). The higher frequency of clinical events in the group without scheme adherence suggests that (de)prescribing antithrombotics according to the antithrombotics scheme is safe. The results of this study suggest that the antithrombotics scheme could aid healthcare professionals identifying possible inappropriate antithrombotics in palliative cancer patients. Further prospective research is needed to investigate this tool.

5. Sacroiliac joint pain.

INTRODUCTION: Sacroiliac (SI) joint pain is defined as pain localized in the anatomical region of the SI joint. The reported prevalence of SI joint pain among patients with mechanical low back pain varies between 15% and 30%. METHODS: In this narrative review, the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of SI joint pain was updated and summarized. RESULTS: Patient's history provides clues on the source of pain. The specificity and sensitivity of provocative maneuvers are relatively high when three or more tests are positive, though recent studies have questioned the predictive value of single or even batteries of provocative tests. Medical imaging is indicated only to rule out red flags for potentially serious conditions. The diagnostic value of SI joint infiltration with local anesthetic remains controversial due to the potential for false-positive and false-negative results. Treatment of SI joint pain ideally consists of a multidisciplinary approach that includes conservative measures as first-line therapies (eg, pharmacological treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy, manual medicine, exercise therapy and rehabilitation treatment, and if necessary, psychological support). Intra- and extra-articular corticosteroid injections have been documented to produce pain relief for over 3 months in some people. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the L5 dorsal ramus and S1-3 (or 4) lateral branches has been shown to be efficacious in numerous studies, with extensive lesioning strategies (eg, cooled RFA) demonstrating the strongest evidence. The reported rate of complications for SI joint treatments is low. CONCLUSIONS: SI joint pain should ideally be managed in a multidisciplinary and multimodal manner. When conservative treatment fails, corticosteroid injections and radiofrequency treatment can be considered.

Support for relatives in the intensive care unit: lessons from a cross-sectional multicentre cohort study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Support for relatives is highly important in the intensive care unit (ICU). During the first COVID-19 wave  support for relatives had to be changed considerably. The alternative support could have decreased the quality and sense of support. We aimed to evaluate how support for relatives in Dutch ICUs was organised during the first COVID-19 wave and how this was experienced by these relatives in comparison to relatives from pre-COVID-19 and the second wave. Additionally, we aimed to investigate which elements of support are associated with positive experiences. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional multicentre cohort study in six Dutch ICUs in the Netherlands. Written questionnaires were distributed among relatives of ICU patients from pre-COVID-19, the first wave and the second wave. The questionnaire included questions on demographics, the organisation of support, and the experiences and satisfaction of relatives with the support. RESULTS: A total of 329 relatives completed the questionnaire (52% partner, 72% woman and 63% ICU stay of 11 days or longer). Support for relatives of ICU patients during the first COVID-19 wave differed significantly from pre-COVID-19 and the second wave. Differences were found in all categories of elements of support: who, when, how and what. Overall, relatives from the three time periods were very positive about the support. The only difference in satisfaction between the three time periods, was the higher proportion of relatives indicating that healthcare professionals had enough time for them during the first wave. Elements of support which were associated with many positive experiences and satisfaction were: fixed timeslot, receiving information (e.g. leaflets) on ≥ 2 topics, discussing > 5 topics with healthcare professionals, and being offered emotional support. CONCLUSIONS: Although, support for relatives in the ICU changed considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic, relatives were still positive about this support. The altered support gave insight into avenues for improvement for future comparable situations as well as for normal daily ICU practice: e.g. daily contact at a fixed timeslot, offering video calling between patients and relatives, and offering emotional support. ICUs should consider which elements need improvement in their practice.

The Effect of Preoperative Disability, Cognitive Impairment, Frailty and Opioid Use on Acute Postoperative Pain in Older Patients Undergoing Surgery A Prospective Cohort Study.

Globally, life expectancy is increasing, leading to more surgeries being performed in older patients. Postoperative pain is associated with complications after surgery. The aim of this study is to explore potential age-related risk factors for acute postoperative pain in older patients undergoing surgery. This was a prospective, single-center study. Patients ≥65 years, with and without disability, as defined by the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, undergoing elective surgery, were compared. Primary outcome was the postoperative pain (ie, numeric rating scale (NRS) score) on the first postoperative day. Secondary outcomes were postoperative pain and pain trajectories in patients with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI), frailty, preoperative opioid use, and new-onset disability after surgery. Between February 2019 and July 2020, 155 patients were enrolled. On the first day after surgery, postoperative pain did not differ between patients with and without disability. NRS scores differed between patients with-, and without MCI on the first (P = .01), and second postoperative day (P < .01). Patients who used opioids before surgery reported higher median NRS score on the first (P < .001) and second (P < .01) postoperative day. Out of a total of 1816 NRS scores, 2 pain clusters were identified. Acute postoperative pain did not differ between patients with or without preoperative disability and frailty in older patients undergoing surgery. Reduced postoperative pain in older patients with MCI warrants further investigation. The PIANO study (Comparison of Postoperative NeurocognitiveFunction in Older Adult Patients with and without Diabetes Mellitus) was registered with www.clinicaltrialregister.nl (search term: Which can predict memory problems after surgery better; blood sugar levels or memory before surgery?). PERSPECTIVE: This study explored risk factors for acute postoperative pain in older patients. No differences in postoperative pain were observed in patients with or without preexistent disability or frailty, however, patients with mild cognitive impairment experienced reduced pain. We suggest to simplify pain assessment in this group and take functional recovery into account.

Spinal Cord Stimulation for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome: to Trial or Not to Trial?

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a recommended therapy to treat failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). A trial period is practiced to enhance patient selection. However, its fundamental evidence is limited, especially concerning long-term benefit and therapy safety. We compared the long-term (5.3 ± 4.0 years) clinical outcome and therapy safety of a trialed and nontrialed implantation strategy, including multidimensional variables and pain intensity fluctuations over time. A multicenter cohort analysis was performed in 2 comparable groups of FBSS patients. Regarding eligibility, patients had to be treated with SCS for at least 3 months. While the Trial group comprised patients who underwent an SCS implantation after a successful trial, the No-Trial group encompassed patients who underwent complete implantation within 1 session. The primary outcome measures were pain intensity scores and complications. The Trial and No-Trial groups consisted of 194 and 376 patients (N = 570), respectively. A statistically but not clinically significant difference in pain intensity (P = .003; effect = 0.506 (.172-.839)) was found in favor of the Trial group. No interaction between a time dependency effect and pain intensity was noted. Whereas trialed SCS patients were more likely to cease opioid usage (P = .003; OR = .509 (.326-.792)), patients in the No-Trial group endured fewer infections (P = .006; proportion difference = .43 (.007-.083)). Although the clinical relevance of our findings should be proven in future studies, this long-term real-world data study indicates that patient-centered assessments on whether an SCS trial should be performed have to be investigated. According to the current ambiguous evidence, SCS trials should be considered on a case-by-case basis. PERSPECTIVE: The currently available comparative evidence, together with our results, remains ambiguous on which SCS implantation strategy might be deemed superior. An SCS trial should be considered on a case-by-case basis, for which further investigation of its clinical utility in certain patient populations or character traits is warranted.

Best Practices from the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) for Clinical Research During a Pandemic or Emergency.

The COVID-19 pandemic caught many areas of medicine in a state of unpreparedness for conducting research and completing ongoing projects during a global crisis, including the field of pain medicine. Waves of infection led to a disjointed ability to provide care and conduct clinical research. The American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) Research Group has created guidance for pragmatic and ethical considerations for research during future emergency or disaster situations. This analysis uses governmental guidance, scientific best practices, and expert opinion to address procedure-based or device-based clinical trials during such times. Current literature offers limited recommendations on this important issue, and the findings of this group fill a void for protocols to improve patient safety and efficacy, especially as we anticipate the impact of future disasters and spreading global infectious diseases. We recommend local adaptations to best practices and innovations to enable continued research while respecting the stressors to the research subjects, investigator teams, health-care systems, and to local infrastructure.

The effect of preferred music versus disliked music on pain thresholds in healthy volunteers. An observational study.

Pain is a prevalent and debilitating healthcare problem. Since pharmacological treatments have numerous side-effects, additional treatment could be beneficial. Music has been shown to affect the pain perception and the pain threshold. The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the effect of preferred music as opposed to disliked music on pain (tolerance) thresholds and perceived pain intensity in healthy volunteers. Pain thresholds were measured via quantitative sensory testing. The volunteers were randomly assigned to either handheld pressure algometry to assess the pressure pain threshold to or electrical measurements to assess the electrical pain tolerance threshold while listening to preferred and disliked music. The pain thresholds were administered on the dorsal side of the forearm. The perceived pain intensity was assessed via a numerical rating scale, ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable). In total 415 volunteers were included in this study. The pressure pain threshold was assessed in 277 volunteers and in the electrical pain tolerance threshold test 138 volunteers were entered. In both groups, preferred music yielded higher pain thresholds than disliked music (P<0.001) and lower perceived pain intensity during the stimulus (P = 0.003). Moreover, the highest pain thresholds of both pressure pain and electrical pain tolerance thresholds were obtained when the preferred music was preceded by disliked music. Listening to preferred music when receiving noxious stimuli leads to higher pain thresholds and lower perceived pain scores in comparison with disliked music. Preferred music could be beneficial for patients with pain or undergoing painful procedures.

Multimodal analgesia practices for knee and hip arthroplasties in the Netherlands. A prospective observational study from the PAIN OUT registry.

INTRODUCTION: Different multimodal pain management strategies following total hip arthroplasty(THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery are used in clinical practice. The optimal pain management strategy, however, remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the differences in perioperative multimodal pain management strategies for THA and TKA in the Netherlands, and studies the associations between patient- and therapy related factors and pain outcomes. METHODS: Data from the Dutch hospitals in the PAIN OUT network were used in this study. Demographic data, pain management strategy including perioperative medication use and anesthetic techniques were recorded and used in a multivariable regression analysis to study the association with maximum pain intensity, the duration of severe pain, pain interference in bed and postoperative nausea. RESULTS: In 343 hip arthroplasty patients and 301 knee arthroplasty patients in seven hospitals, respectively 28 and 35 different combinations of analgesic regimens were used. The number of different drugs prescribed was not related to postoperative pain intensity. Female sex, younger age and spinal anesthesia were associated with higher postoperative maximum pain scores (Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) > 5). Hip surgery and ketamine use were associated with lower postoperative pain scores. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and gabapentinoids, higher age, higher body mass index (BMI) and male gender were associated with less postoperative nausea (NRS < 3). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study demonstrated a large diversity of analgesic strategies following total joint arthroplasties in the Netherlands. Although no ideal strategy was identified, the use of NSAIDs, ketamine and dexamethasone were associated with less pain and less side effects.

Chronic postsurgical pain after minimally invasive adrenalectomy: prevalence and impact on quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive adrenalectomy is the standard of care for small adrenal tumours. Both the transperitoneal lateral approach and posterior retroperitoneal approach are widely used and have been proven to be safe and effective. However, the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain has not been specifically investigated in previous studies. The primary goal of this study was to identify the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain after minimally invasive adrenalectomy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed among all consecutive patients who had undergone minimally invasive adrenalectomy in a single university medical centre. The primary outcome was the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain. Secondary outcomes were the prevalence of localized hypoesthesia, risk factors for the development of chronic postsurgical pain, and the Health-Related Quality of Life. Three questionnaires were used to measure the prevalence and severity of chronic postsurgical pain, hypoesthesia, and Health-Related Quality of Life. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine risk factors for development of chronic postsurgical pain. RESULTS: Six hundred two patients underwent minimally invasive adrenalectomy between January 2007 and September 2019, of whom 328 signed informed consent. The prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain was 14.9%. In the group of patients with chronic postsurgical pain, 33% reported hypoesthesia as well. Young age was a significant predictor for developing chronic postsurgical pain. The prevalence of localized hypoesthesia was 15.2%. In patients with chronic postsurgical pain, Health-Related Quality of Life was significantly lower, compared to patients without pain. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain following minimally invasive adrenalectomy is considerable. Furthermore, the presence of chronic postsurgical pain was correlated with a significant and clinically relevant lower Health-Related Quality of Life. These findings should be included in the preoperative counselling of the patient. In the absence of evidence for effective treatment in established chronic pain, prevention should be the key strategy and topic of future research.

Pain descriptors and determinants of pain sensitivity in knee osteoarthritis: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The aim was to explore pain characteristics in individuals with knee OA (KOA), to compare pain sensitivity across individuals with KOA, individuals with chronic back pain (CBP) and pain-free individuals (NP) and to examine the relationship between clinical characteristics and pain sensitivity and between pain characteristics and pain sensitivity in KOA. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional, community-based online survey. Two data sets were combined, consisting of Dutch individuals ≥40 years of age, who were experiencing chronic knee pain (KOA, n = 445), chronic back pain (CBP, n = 504) or no pain (NP, n = 256). Demographic and clinical characteristics, global health, physical activity/exercise and pain characteristics, including intensity, spreading, duration, quality (short-form McGill pain questionnaire) and sensitivity (pain sensitivity questionnaire), were assessed. Differences between (sub)groups were examined using analyses of variance or χ2 tests. Regression analyses were performed to examine determinants of pain sensitivity in the KOA group. Results: The quality of pain was most commonly described as aching, tender and tiring-exhausting. Overall, the KOA group had higher levels of pain sensitivity compared with the NP group, but lower levels than the CBP group. Univariately, pain intensity, its variability and spreading, global health, exercise and having co-morbidities were weakly related to pain sensitivity (standardized ß: 0.12-0.27). Symptom duration was not related to pain sensitivity. Older age, higher levels of continuous pain, lower levels of global health, and exercise contributed uniquely, albeit modestly, to pain sensitivity (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Continuous pain, such as aching and tenderness, in combination with decreased physical activity might be indicative for a subgroup of individuals at risk for pain sensitivity and, ultimately, poor treatment outcomes.

Study Design Characteristics and Endpoints for Enriched Enrollment Randomized Withdrawal Trials for Chronic Pain Patients: A Systematic Review.

Enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal (EERW) pain trials are designed to include only responders with considerable pain relief without unacceptable side effects into the randomized phase. There are no recommendations for primary endpoints in such trials. Our objective was to propose recommendations based on assessment of trial characteristics, endpoints and effect sizes in EERW pain trials. We conducted a systematic review by searching electronic databases up to June 2020 for EERW trials comparing an analgesic with a placebo in adults suffering from chronic pain. A total of 28 trials met our criteria, involving 13662 patients in the open or single-blind phase and 7937 patients in the double-blind phase. As primary endpoint 18 trials used pain intensity measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS) or the 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS); 1 trial used a 4-point NRS. Loss of therapeutic response (LTR) was used in 1 trial and time to LTR was used in 8 trials as primary endpoint. Definitions of time to LTR differed considerably between trials. Only 2 out of 8 trials using time to LTR as primary endpoint reported the percentage of patients experiencing a minimum pain relief of 50%, compared to 14 out of 18 trials using NRS or VAS. Due to the complexity and diversity of time to LTR in EERW pain trials, we propose to use the NRS as primary endpoint with conservative imputation methods, and to use time to LTR as secondary endpoint.

The Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC): Recommendations on Best Practices for Cervical Neurostimulation.

INTRODUCTION: The International Neuromodulation Society convened a multispecialty group of physicians based on expertise with international representation to establish evidence-based guidance on the use of neurostimulation in the cervical region to improve outcomes. This Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) project intends to provide evidence-based guidance for an often-overlooked area of neurostimulation practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Authors were chosen based upon their clinical expertise, familiarity with the peer-reviewed literature, research productivity, and contributions to the neuromodulation literature. Section leaders supervised literature searches of MEDLINE, BioMed Central, Current Contents Connect, Embase, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and PubMed from 2017 (when NACC last published guidelines) to the present. Identified studies were graded using the US Preventive Services Task Force criteria for evidence and certainty of net benefit. Recommendations are based on the strength of evidence or consensus when evidence was scant. RESULTS: The NACC examined the published literature and established evidence- and consensus-based recommendations to guide best practices. Additional guidance will occur as new evidence is developed in future iterations of this process. CONCLUSIONS: The NACC recommends best practices regarding the use of cervical neuromodulation to improve safety and efficacy. The evidence- and consensus-based recommendations should be utilized as a guide to assist decision making when clinically appropriate.

Diagnostic tools should be used for the diagnosis of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer patients receiving taxanes.

BACKGROUND: Though the incidence, characteristics, and pathogenesis of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) by taxane based chemotherapy were extensively studied, diagnostic guidelines extent only recently. AIM: To observationally investigate whether specific tests can be used to predict and monitor CIPN severity. METHODS: Fourteen female breast cancer patients receiving paclitaxel or docetaxel were evaluated using the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) grading, clinical total neuropathy score (TNSc), quantitative sensory testing (QST) of pressure pain threshold (PPT), and numeric rating scale (NRS) scores and stocking and glove distribution testing (SGDT), at the start (T0), midst (T1), and end (T2) of their treatment and after 3 months (T3). RESULTS: At T3, patients scored NCI-CTC neuropathy grade 1 (14.3%), 2 (64.3%), and 3 (14.3%) respectively. Fifty percentage scored at least grade 1 at T0, with complaints not caused by CIPN. Pain, if present, was denominated "tingling" and "cold" in the MPQ. Median TNSc score increased from T0 (2.43) to T1 (4.71) to T2 (5.50) to T3 (5.57), as did pinprick and cold sensation disturbances in SGDT. PPT and associated NRS remained unchanged. TNSc and SGDT at T1 could not predict the NCI-CTC grade at T3. CONCLUSION: NCI-CTC, TNSc, and stocking and glove distribution testing can be used in the early diagnosis and monitoring of CIPN, with false-positive findings at baseline. Final NCI-CTC grades could not be predicted.

Effects of opioid rotation to buprenorphine/naloxone on pain, pain thresholds, pain tolerance, and quality of life in patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorder.

ABSTRACT: Long-term opioid use in patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) can lead to opioid use disorder (OUD) and has been associated with hyperalgesia and reduced quality of life (QoL). Studies suggest antihyperalgesic properties of buprenorphine, and buprenorphine or naloxone (BuNa) has shown beneficial effects on QoL in patients with OUD without CNCP. This study investigated the added value of BuNa in patients with CNCP with OUD on self-reported pain, pain thresholds, pain tolerance, and QoL. In the current study, 43 outpatients with CNCP and OUD were included for inpatient conversion from full µ-receptor agonist opioids to BuNa. Self-reported pain, pain thresholds, pain tolerance, and QoL were determined at baseline and after 2 months of follow-up, using, respectively, a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS-pain and VAS-QoL), quantitative sensory testing, and EuroQol-5 dimensions. In total, 37 participants completed the protocol, and their data were analyzed. The mean VAS-pain score decreased from 51.3 to 37.2 (27.5%, F = 3.3; P = 0.044), whereas the pressure pain threshold and electric pain threshold or tolerance increased after substitution (F = 7.8; P = 0.005 and F = 44.5; P < 0.001, respectively), as well as QoL (EuroQol-5 dimensions questionnaire: F = 10.4; P = 0.003 and VAS-QoL: F = 4.4; P = 0.043). We found that conversion of full µ-receptor agonists to BuNa, in patients with CNCP with OUD, was accompanied with lower self-reported pain, higher pain thresholds, higher pain tolerance, and improved QoL. Despite several study limitations, these data suggest that BuNa might be of value in patients with CNCP with OUD. Future studies should investigate long-term effects of BuNa in randomized trials.

Family support on intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative evaluation study into experiences of relatives.

BACKGROUND: During the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands, relatives of patients with COVID-19 admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs) were severely restricted in visiting their relatives and in communicating with treating physicians. Family communication is a core element of critical care, however, this pandemic forced medical ICU staff to arrange alternative family support for instance by Family Support Teams (FSTs), consisting of non-ICU affiliated staff who telephonically contacted relatives. This study aims to examine relatives' experiences with FSTs on two ICUs of a Dutch university medical centre, and to evaluate its working strategies. . METHODS: In a semi-structured interview study, relatives of patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICU's, who had been supported by the FSTs, were sampled purposively. Twenty-one interviews were conducted telephonically by three researchers. All interviews were topic list guided and audio-recorded. Data was analysed thematically. RESULTS: All participants indicated they went through a rough time. Almost all evaluated the FSTs positively. Four major themes were identified. First, three important pillars of the FSTs were providing relatives with transparency about the patients' situation, providing attention to relatives' well-being, and providing predictability and certainty by calling on a daily basis in a period characterised by insecurity. Second, relatives appeared to fulfil their information needs by calls of the FSTs, but also by calling the attending ICU nurse. Information provided by the FSTs was associated with details and reliability, information provided by nurses was associated with the patient's daily care. Third, being a primary family contact was generally experienced as both valuable and as an emotional burden. Last, participants missed proper aftercare. Family support often stopped directly after the patient died or had left the ICU. Relatives expressed a need for extended support after that moment since they had strong emotions after discharge or death of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Family support in times of the extreme COVID-19 situation is important, as relatives are restricted in communication and have a strong need for information and support. Relatives feel encouraged by structure, frequency, support and understanding by FSTs. However, remote family support should be tailored to the needs of relatives. A fixed contact person on de ICU and video calling might be good extra options for family support, also in future post COVID-19 care, but cannot replace physical visits.