Resumo

MONTERO MATAMALA, A. et al. Study to evaluate the profile of patients attending Pain Units in Spaninsh hospitals for the first time: (PANDHORA study). Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2011, vol.18, n.4, pp.219-227. ISSN 1134-8046.

Objective: to define the sociodemographic and clinical profile of patients attending the Pain Unit (PU) for the first time. Material and methods: this was an epidemiological, cross-sectional, multicenter study. Study variables were recorded on a Case Report Form. The investigators collected the sociodemographic and clinical variables of patients who attended the pain unit, complied with eligibility criteria, and gave their written informed consent to participate in the study. One hundred and sixty-five physicians from 107 Pain Units in Spanish hospitals took part in the study with a total of 823 patients. Results: mean age (SD) of patients was 59 (15.1) years; 66.4% were women. The referring specialists were orthopedics (35.1% of patients), followed by general practitioners (24.9% of patients). The mean (SD) pain intensity as measured by a numerical visual scale (NVS) was 7 (1.8). In 33.7% of patients the pain episode lasted from 3 to 12 months. 96.3% of patients presented non-oncologic pain with musculoskeletal pain predominated in 68.6%. The most common sites were the lumbar area in 55.3% of patients and the lower limbs in 40.8%. On their first visit to the Pain Unit, 7.8% of patients were receiving no analgesic treatment, while 55.2% were on non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), 45.1% on acetaminophen, 31.6% on minor opioids, and 15.7% on major opioids. Conclusions: results show a predominance of musculoskeletal pain, which is located in the lumbar area, long-lasting, and more common in women. NSAIDs are the most common drugs prescribed by clinicians who refer patients to the Pain Unit, with opioids and antiepileptic drugs being used much less frequently.

Palavras-chave : Epidemiological studies; Pain Unit; Types of pain; Musculoskeletal pain; Analgesic therapies.

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