Post Operative Pain Therapy; Scientists at

University of Copenhagen detail research in

post operative pain therapy
Pain & Central Nervous System Week (May 21, 2007): 268.

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The nociceptive stimulation methods have included heat injury and pressure algometry. A simple
method, Pain Matcher (PM), using electrical stimulation, is validated for pain assessment, but
has not been evaluated as a tool for prediction of post-operative pain. Our aim was to assess the
predictive value of pre-caesarean section pain threshold on intensity of post-caesarean section
pain using the PM. Thirty-nine healthy women scheduled for elective caesarean section were
studied.

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2007 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com) -- New investigation results, "Prediction of post-operative pain

by an electrical pain stimulus," are detailed in a study published in Acta Anaesthesiologica
Scandinavica. According to recent research from Copenhagen, Denmark, "Treatment of postoperative pain is still a significant problem. Recently, interest has focused on pre-operative
identification of patients who may experience severe post-operative pain in order to offer a more
aggressive analgesic treatment."

"The nociceptive stimulation methods have included heat injury and pressure algometry. A
simple method, Pain Matcher (PM), using electrical stimulation, is validated for pain assessment,
but has not been evaluated as a tool for prediction of post-operative pain. Our aim was to assess
the predictive value of pre-caesarean section pain threshold on intensity of post-caesarean section
pain using the PM. Thirty-nine healthy women scheduled for elective caesarean section were
studied. The anaesthetic/analgesic procedures included spinal anaesthesia, paracetamol,
diclofenac, controlled-release (CR) oxycodone and morphine on request. Pre-operatively, the
sensory and pain thresholds were measured using the PM. Post-operatively, a midwife, blinded
for pre-caesarean pain threshold assessments, assessed the pain at rest and during mobilization
every 12 h for 2 days. Consumption of analgesics was also recorded. Pre-operative pain
threshold correlated significantly with post-caesarean pain score (VAS) at rest and mobilization:
[Spearman's rho=-0.65 (-0.30 to -0.75), p<0.01] and [Spearman's rho=-0.52 (-0.23 to -0.72),
p<0.01], respectively. There was no significant correlation between pre-operative PM assessment
of sensory threshold and post-operative pain. Electrical pain threshold before caesarean section
seems to predict the intensity of post-operative pain," wrote P.R. Nielsen and colleagues,
University of Copenhagen.
The researchers concluded: "This method may be used as a screening tool to identify patients at
high risk of post-operative pain."
Nielsen and colleagues published their study in Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica (Prediction
of post-operative pain by an electrical pain stimulus. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica,
2007;51(5):582-6).
For additional information, contact P.R. Nielsen, University of Copenhagen, Dept. of
Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100
Copenhagen, Denmark.
Publisher contact information for the journal Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica is: Blackwell
Munksgaard, 35 Norre Sogade, PO Box 2148, DK-1016 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Keywords: Denmark, Copenhagen, Post Operative Pain Therapy, Analgesia, Pain Medicine,
Post-operative Pain.
This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other
reports. Copyright 2007, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.