Gender disparity in analgesic treatment of emergency department patients with acute abdominal pain

Efficacy of NSAIDs in reducing pain during intrauterine device Insertion: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Intrauterine devices (IUD) are highly effective, but insertion pain deters many. While no consensus exists on gold standard analgesia, practitioners commonly recommend over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This systematic review evaluates NSAID efficacy for pain reduction during IUD insertion.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library using (intrauterine device* OR IUD*) AND (NSAIDs OR non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). The primary outcome was patient-reported pain during IUD insertion. The authors evaluated each publication for bias using the Centre for Evidenced-Based Medine Critical Appraisal Tool for Randomised Control Trials (CEBM).

RESULTS

The search yielded 6,529 studies, retrieving 29 full texts, with 20 meeting inclusion criteria. This review found limited evidence that prophylactic NSAIDs provide clinically significant pain relief for most women. The review included various NSAID types and dosages. Six studies demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in pain (p < 0.05) compared to placebo.

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic NSAIDs show limited efficacy in reducing IUD insertion pain, with 70 % of studies reporting no significant benefit. These findings, suggesting lower overall effectiveness than previous research, underscore the need for standardized approaches and further research into meaningful pain relief. Heterogeneity in NSAID types, dosages, and pain assessment methods highlights the need for targeted research to improve patient-centered reproductive healthcare.

Emergency room management of urolithiasis: a sex-based comparison

INTRODUCTION

Existing literature has highlighted disparities in acute pain management across racial and sex groups in both emergency department and pre-hospital settings. This study aimed to evaluate prescribing patterns among physicians and advanced practice providers for patients with upper tract urolithiasis in an academic emergency department.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with upper tract urolithiasis was performed to evaluate age, sex, race, ethnicity, stone size and location, presence of hydronephrosis, admission status, history of prior nephrolithiasis, medications administered in the emergency department (ED), requests for urology consult or referral, and discharge medications.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

In this single-center, propensity-matched analysis, we found no significant sex, race, or provider level of training-based differences in prescribing patterns for patients presenting with renal colic secondary to upper urinary tract stones in our academic emergency department.

Menstrual pain and epistemic injustice

In this paper I analyze the phenomenon of normalizing and tabooing menstrual pain as an example of epistemic injustice. I refer to both types of epistemic injustice distinguished by Miranda Fricker: testimonial injustice and hermeneutic injustice. The social approach to the phenomenon of menstrual pain combines both. This poses a significant political and bioethical problem, as ignoring and misunderstanding the experiences of menstrual pain sufferers can contribute to delayed diagnosis and reinforce patients' sense of loneliness.

Emergency department visits for undiagnosed pelvic organ prolapse

OBJECTIVES

To describe women presenting to the emergency department (ED) for previously undiagnosed pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Secondary objective was to determine rates of outpatient specialty follow-up and factors associated with accessing follow-up care.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study of patients who presented at 3 EDs affiliated with an urban academic health system that received a new diagnosis of POP between January 2016 and September 2022. Data on demographics, chief complaint, evaluation and interventions performed in the ED, and follow-up care within 3 months post-ED discharge were abstracted from the medical chart. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to compare characteristics of women who did and did not follow-up for specialty or subspecialty care.

RESULTS

56 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 61.2 ± 17.1 years. The majority identified as either non-Hispanic Black (51.8 %) or Hispanic or Latino (25.0 %). 57.1 % of patients had public insurance. Less than half (42.8 %) of patients underwent follow-up care with a urogynecologist or gynecologist within 3 months after ED discharge. Race was found to be significantly associated with follow-up rates (P = 0.03), with non-Hispanic Black women experiencing the lowest rates (20.7 %) of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

POP causes sufficient distress to prompt an ED encounter. A subset of women overrepresented by Black and publicly insured women utilize the ED for initial POP evaluation, when compared to patients who access initial outpatient POP care. A minority of patients underwent outpatient follow-up. Further research is needed to understand care-seeking behaviors for POP and barriers to timely outpatient follow-up care.

Lack of sex bias in the referral letters for patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a mixed methods evaluation

Introduction

Women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience greater delays and misdiagnosis than men. Data from other conditions suggest that sex and/or gender bias in the process of referral to speciality care may contribute.

Methods

We undertook a mixed methods analysis of 120 referral letters to gastroenterology for people ultimately diagnosed with IBD in Calgary, Alberta. Letters were masked for patient sex and gender prior to analysis. Gastroenterologists who were masked to the objective of the study rated the quality of referral letters and triaged letters for urgency. Two study team members performed a Framework analysis to identify agentic (masculine) and commensal (feminine) adjectives, mentions of caregiving and work roles, and psychosocial history. After analysis, letters were unmasked and findings were compared by patient sex.

Results

There were 116 referral letters included in the analysis (n = 59, 50.9% for male patients). There were no differences in letter quality or triage urgency between male and female patients (median quality 4 [IQR 4-7] and 5 out of 10 [IQR 4-6], respectively, higher scores represent better quality; P = .37, and P = .44 for triage category). There was no difference in the use of adjectives and mention of caregiving or work roles, psychiatric history, or social history between letters for female and male patients.

Conclusions

This mixed methods analysis identified no difference in referral letter language, contents, or quality for female and male patients with IBD. Masked letters were triaged similarly to unmasked letters, suggesting an absence of sex and/or gender bias in the gastroenterology triaging process in our setting.

Women are worse off in developing and recovering from temporomandibular disorder symptoms

Decision-making for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) is reported being a clinical challenge, partly due to uncertainities in assessment of long-term prognosis. Therefore, our aim was to explore variations over time in TMD symptoms and possible sex or age differences. In this cohort study, data were prospectively collected 2010-2017 from the general population in Västerbotten, Northern Sweden. Adults were eligible if they had undergone at least two routine dental check-ups that included screening for TMDs (3Q/TMD) from which states were defined as absence or presence of TMD pain and/or jaw catching/locking. The rate of transitions was estimated between TMD states within a time span of one year. A total of 94,769 individuals were included (49.9% women) with 205,684 repeated visits and 9,006 state transitions recorded over the 8-year period. Compared to men, women had higher rates of transitions from no TMDs to any TMD symptoms. Furthermore, women had a lower rate of transition from TMD pain only to no TMDs. The finding of a poorer prognosis in women, as well as previously reported potential gender differences in pain perception and reporting, reinforces that gender differences should be accounted for in the treatment planning stage for patients with onset of TMDs.

Association Between Perioperative Celecoxib, Acetaminophen, and Opioid Consumption After Palate Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effect of perioperative celecoxib and acetaminophen administration on opioid consumption in the first 24 hours after palate surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary academic center.

METHODS

Adults with OSA undergoing soft palate surgery and admitted to the hospital postoperatively between July 2013 and June 2023 were included. Study participants were also included if they underwent concurrent nasal surgery but excluded if they underwent any pharyngeal surgery other than tonsillectomy or were taking opioids prior to surgery. Opioids administered after surgery were converted to morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between total MME consumed in the first 24 hours postoperatively and celecoxib and acetaminophen usage.

RESULTS

A total of 210 study participants (15.7% female) were included with a mean age of 48.8 ± 37.5 years. The mean MME consumed in the first 24 hours after palate surgery was 80.2 ± 63.9. One hundred and twenty-six (60%) study participants received perioperative celecoxib, while 195 (93%) received perioperative acetaminophen. Celecoxib use was associated with lesser MME (-2.7 ± 1.1 MME per 100 mg; P = .018) consumed postoperatively, while acetaminophen was not (-0.3 ± 0.3 MME per 100 mg; P = .43). Female gender, Asian race, and African American race were also associated with lesser MME consumed postoperatively, while autoimmune/immunosuppressive conditions and tonsillectomy were associated with greater MME consumption.

CONCLUSION

Perioperative celecoxib was associated with reduced MME consumption in the first 24 hours after palate surgery. No association was found between acetaminophen and postoperative opioid use.

Disparities in pain management among transgender patients presenting to the emergency department for abdominal pain

OBJECTIVE

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals have a gender identity or expression that differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. They are an underserved population who experience health care inequities. Our primary objective was to identify if there are treatment differences between TGD and cisgender lesbian/gay/bisexual/queer (LGBQ) or heterosexual individuals presenting with abdominal pain to the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

Retrospective observational cohort study of patients ≥12 years of age presenting to 21 EDs within a health care system with a chief complaint of abdominal pain between 2018 and 2022. TGD patients were matched 1:1:1:1 to cisgender LGBQ women and men and cisgender heterosexual women and men, respectively. Propensity score matching covariates included age, ED site, mental health history, and gastrointestinal history. The primary outcome was pain assessment within 60 min of arrival. The secondary outcome was analgesics administered in the ED.

RESULTS

We identified 300 TGD patients, of whom 300 TGD patients were successfully matched for a total cohort of 1300 patients. The median (IQR) age was 25 (20-32) years and most patients were treated in a community ED (58.2%). There was no difference between groups in pain assessment within 60 min of arrival (59.0% TGD vs. 63.2% non TGD, p = 0.19). There were no differences in the number of times pain was assessed (median [IQR] 2 [1-3] vs. 2 [1-4], p = 0.31) or the severity of pain between groups (5.5 [4-7] vs. 6 [4-7], p = 0.11). TGD patients were more likely to receive nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (32.0% vs. 24.9%, p = 0.015) and less likely to receive opioids than non-TGD patients (24.7% vs. 36.9%, p = <0.001). TGD and nonbinary patients, along with LGBQ cisgender women (24.7%) and heterosexual cisgender women (34%), were less likely to receive opioids than LGBQ cisgender men (54%) and heterosexual cisgender men (42.3%, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

There was no difference in frequency of pain assessment, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. More cisgender men, compared to TGD and cisgender women, received opioids for their pain.

Abdominal Pain-Specific Legal Risk

Abdominal pain accounts for approximately 10% of emergency department visits and 4% to 6% of litigation. Clinical history and examination are important, as all diagnostic testing has limitations. Specific pathologies, such as appendicitis, warrant a review of factors increasing risk. In all cases, documentation of prompt communication with consultants can be protective in the event of any unforeseen delays in care. Careful attention should be paid to special populations including patients with cancer, diabetes, and patients with postsurgical, geriatric, and bariatric surgery.

Multi-institutional retrospective study on opioid prescribing patterns of oral and maxillofacial surgeons

BACKGROUND

The opioid epidemic is a serious crisis in the United States. It has been proposed that opioid prescriptions after dental procedures are a major contributor to opioid use and abuse. The American Dental Association has been working to educate dental care providers about safe opioid prescribing practices. The authors hypothesized that oral and maxillofacial surgeons, following the efforts and publications from the American Dental Association, have been prescribing fewer postoperative opioids.

METHODS

This was a multi-institutional retrospective study with a total of 3,710 patients from Loma Linda University and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston undergoing ambulatory surgical tooth extraction under general anesthesia or sedation. The total quantity of postoperative opioids (ie, morphine milligram equivalents) was analyzed during the following 2 periods: from 2011 through 2016 and from 2017 through 2021.

RESULTS

The amount of opioids prescribed decreased significantly over time at both study institutions across all demographic characteristics and cohorts. The mean (SD) morphine milligram equivalents prescribed per patient was significantly reduced from 143.01 (71.08) in the 2011 through 2016 period to 72.09 (55.40) in the 2017 through 2021 period (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggested that there has been a significant decrease in the amount of opioids prescribed after ambulatory oral surgery procedures during the 10-year study period. This provides evidence that dental care providers have responded to the opioid crisis.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

By means of identifying opioid prescribing patterns, the authors presented an opportunity to help inform interventions and policies that promote responsible prescribing, enhance patient safety, and support optimal pain management.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): Identifying Linguistic Gender Bias in Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

With the rise of feminism, women report experiencing doubt or discrimination in medical settings. This study aims to explore the linguistic mechanisms by which physicians express disbelief toward patients and to investigate gender differences in the use of negative medical descriptions. A content analysis of 285 electronic medical records was conducted to identify 4 linguistic bias features: judging, reporting, quoting, and fudging. Sentiment classification and knowledge graph with ICD-11 were used to determine the prevalence of these features in the medical records, and logistic regression was applied to test gender differences. A total of 2354 descriptions were analyzed, with 64.7% of the patients identified as male. Descriptions of female patients contained fewer judgmental linguistic features but more fudging-related linguistic features compared to male patients (judging: OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.88, p < 0.01; fudging: OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.09-1.75, p < 0.01). No significant differences were found in the use of reporting (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.61-1.47, p = 0.81) and quoting (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.72-1.36, p = 0.96) between male and female patients. This study highlights how physicians may express disbelief toward patients through linguistic biases, particularly through the use of judging and fudging language. Both male and female patients may face different types of systematic bias from physicians, with female patients experiencing more fudging-related language and less judgmental language compared to male patients. These differences point to a potential mechanism through which gender disparities in healthcare quality may arise, underscoring the need for further investigation and action to address these biases.

Effect of patient gender on the decision of ceiling of care: an European study of emergency physicians' treatment decisions in simulated cases

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Gender bias in healthcare can significantly influence clinical decision-making, potentially leading to disparities in treatment outcomes. This study addresses the impact of patient gender on the decision-making process for establishing a ceiling of care in emergency medicine, particularly the decision to limit tracheal intubation.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether patient gender influences emergency physicians' decisions regarding the recommendation for tracheal intubation in critically ill patients.

DESIGN

A European survey-based study was conducted using a standardized clinical scenario to assess physicians' decisions in a controlled setting.

SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS

The survey targeted European emergency physicians over a 2-week period in April 2024. A total of 3423 physicians participated, with a median age of 40 years and a distribution of 46% women. Physicians were presented with a clinical vignette of a 75-year-old patient in acute respiratory distress. The vignettes were randomized to vary only by the patient's gender (woman/man) and level of functional status: (1) can grocery shop alone, (2) cannot grocery shop alone but can bathe independently, or (3) cannot perform either task independently.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS

The primary outcome was the recommendation for intubation, with secondary analyses exploring the influence of patient functional status levels. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders, including physician gender, age, experience, and practice setting.

MAIN RESULTS

A total of 3423 physicians responded, mostly from France, Spain, Italy, and the UK (1,532, 494, 247, and 245 respectively). Women patients were less likely to be intubated compared to male patients [67.9% vs. 71.7%; difference 3.81%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.7-6.9%]. The likelihood of recommending intubation decreased with lower levels of patient functional status. Women physician gender was also associated with a reduced likelihood of recommending intubation.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests a significant gender-based disparity in emergency care decision-making, with women patients being less likely to receive recommendations for intubation. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to potential limitations in the representativity of respondents and the uncertain applicability of survey responses to real-life clinical practice.

Use and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine among university students: The role of gender and race

Purpose: This study assessed gender, race, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), attitudes toward CAM, and disclosure of CAM use to health providers using an online survey of 506 students at a regional public university. Methods: Ordinary least squares regression models were used to examine relationships of interest, including use, attitudes, and disclosure of CAM by self-identified gender and race. Results: The most common therapy reported included vitamins and mineral supplements, and participants of all racial and gender identities expressed generally positive attitudes toward CAM. Women reported using CAM significantly more often than men, and Whites more often than non-Whites. Conclusions: White respondents were more likely to disclose the use of CAM to healthcare providers compared to African American respondents, and women reported disclosure more often than men. A significant interaction between gender and race was noted for attitudes toward CAM for Whites and African Americans, with White women most positive toward CAM.

Sex Disparities in Opioid Prescription and Administration on a Hospital Medicine Service

INTRODUCTION

Decisions to prescribe opioids to patients depend on many factors, including illness severity, pain assessment, and patient age, race, ethnicity, and gender. Gender and sex disparities have been documented in many healthcare settings, but are understudied in inpatient general medicine hospital settings.

OBJECTIVE

We assessed for differences in opioid administration and prescription patterns by legal sex in adult patient hospitalizations from the general medicine service at a large urban academic center.

DESIGNS, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This study included all adult patient hospitalizations discharged from the acute care inpatient general medicine services at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights from 1/1/2013 to 9/30/2021.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES

The primary outcomes were (1) average daily inpatient opioids received and (2) days of opioids prescribed on discharge. For both outcomes, we first performed logistic regression to assess differences in whether or not any opioids were administered or prescribed. Then, we performed negative binomial regression to assess differences in the amount of opioids given. We also performed all analyses on a subgroup of hospitalizations with pain-related diagnoses.

RESULTS

Our study cohort included 48,745 hospitalizations involving 27,777 patients. Of these, 24,398 (50.1%) hospitalizations were female patients and 24,347 (49.9%) were male. Controlling for demographic, clinical, and hospitalization-level variables, female patients were less likely to receive inpatient opioids compared to male patents (adjusted OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.82, 0.92) and received 27.5 fewer morphine milligram equivalents per day on average (95% CI - 39.0, - 16.0). When considering discharge opioids, no significant differences were found between sexes. In the subgroup analysis of pain-related diagnoses, female patients received fewer inpatient opioids.

CONCLUSIONS

Female patients were less likely to receive inpatient opioids and received fewer opioids when prescribed. Future work to promote equity should identify strategies to ensure all patients receive adequate pain management.

Older age and risk for delayed abdominal pain care in the emergency department

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Suboptimal acute pain care has been previously reported to be associated with demographic characteristics.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess a healthcare system's multi-facility database of emergency attendances for abdominal pain, to assess for an association between demographics (age, sex, and ethnicity) and two endpoints: time delay to initial analgesia (primary endpoint) and selection of an opioid as the initial analgesic (secondary endpoint).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective observational study assessed four consecutive months' visits by adults (≥18 years) with a chief complaint of abdominal pain, in a UK National Health Service Trust's emergency department (ED). Data collected included demographics, pain scores, and analgesia variables.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS

Categorical data were described with proportions and binomial exact 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Continuous data were described using median (with 95% CIs) and interquartile range (IQR). Multivariable associations between demographics and endpoints were executed with quantile median regression (National Health Service primary endpoint) and logistic regression (secondary endpoint).

MAIN RESULTS

In 4231 patients, 1457 (34.4%) receiving analgesia had a median time to initial analgesia of 110 min (95% CI, 104-120, IQR, 55-229). The univariate assessment identified only one demographic variable, age decade ( P = 0.0001), associated with the time to initial analgesia. Association between age and time to initial analgesia persisted in multivariable analysis adjusting for initial pain score, facility type, and time of presentation; for each decade increase the time to initial analgesia was linearly prolonged by 6.9 min (95% CI, 1.9-11.9; P = 0.007). In univariable assessment, time to initial analgesia was not associated with either detailed ethnicity (14 categories, P = 0.109) or four-category ethnicity ( P = 0.138); in multivariable analysis ethnicity remained non-significant as either 14-category (all ethnicities' P ≥ 0.085) or four-category (all P ≥ 0.138). No demographic or operational variables were associated with the secondary endpoint; opioid initial choice was associated only with pain score ( P = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

In a consecutive series of patients with abdominal pain, advancing age was the only demographic variable associated with prolonged time to initial analgesia. Older patients were found to have a linearly increasing, age-dependent risk for prolonged wait for pain care.

Documenting Race and Gender Biases in Pain Assessment and a Novel Intervention Designed to Reduce Biases

Disparities in pain care are well-documented such that women and people of color have their pain undertreated and underestimated compared to men and White people. One of the contributors of the undertreatment of pain for people of color and women may be the inaccurate assessment of pain. Understanding the pain assessment process is an important step in evaluating the magnitude of and intervening on pain disparities in care. In the current work, we focus on documenting intersectional race and gender biases in pain assessment and present the results of a novel intervention for reducing these biases. Across 3 studies (N = 532) and a mini meta-analysis using real videotaped people in pain as stimuli, we demonstrate that observers disproportionately underestimated women of color's pain compared to all other groups (men of color, White women, and White men). In study 3 (N = 232), we show that a novel intervention focused on behavioral skill building (ie, practice and immediate feedback) significantly reduced observers' pain assessment biases toward marginalized groups compared to all other types of trainings (raising awareness of societal biases, raising awareness of self-biases, and a control condition). While it is an open question as to how long this type of intervention lasts, behavioral skills building around assessing marginalized people's pain more accurately is a promising training tool for health care professionals. PERSPECTIVE: This article demonstrates the underestimation of pain among people of color and women. We also found support that a novel intervention reduced observers' pain assessment biases toward marginalized groups. This could be used in medical education or clinical care to reduce intersectional pain care disparities.

Racial Bias in Pediatric Pain Perception

Racial disparities in pediatric pain care are prevalent across a variety of health care settings, and likely contribute to broader disparities in health, morbidity, and mortality. The present research expands on prior work demonstrating potential perceptual contributions to pain care disparities in adults and tests whether racial bias in pain perception extends to child targets. We examined the perception and hypothetical treatment of pain in Black and White boys (experiment 1), Black and White boys and girls (experiment 2), Black and White boys and adult men (experiment 3), and Black, White, Asian, and Latinx boys (experiment 4). Across this work, pain was less readily perceived on Black (vs White) boys' faces-though this bias was not observed within girls. Moreover, this perceptual bias was comparable in magnitude to the same bias measured with adult targets and consistently predicted bias in hypothetical treatment. Notably, bias was not limited to Black targets-pain on Hispanic/Latinx boys' faces was also relatively underperceived. Taken together, these results offer strong evidence for racial bias in pediatric pain perception. PERSPECTIVE: This article demonstrates perceptual contributions to racial bias in pediatric pain recognition. Participants consistently saw pain less readily on Black boys' faces, compared with White boys, and this perceptual bias consistently predicted race-based gaps in treatment. This work reveals a novel factor that may support pediatric pain care disparities.

Younger Age and Female Gender Are Associated With Delayed Antibiotics in Pediatric Sepsis

Sepsis is a leading cause of pediatric mortality and timely antibiotic administration has been shown to improve outcomes. In this retrospective review of a single center sepsis dataset, we identified younger age and female sex as more likely to have delays in antibiotics.

Sex Disparities in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Treatment in US Adult Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Importance

In US emergency departments (EDs), empiric antibiotic treatment for gonorrhea (GC) and chlamydia (CT) is common due to the unavailability of immediate test results. Evidence suggests sex-based disparities in treatment practices, with females potentially receiving less empiric treatment than males.

Objective

To investigate sex differences in empiric antibiotic treatment for GC and CT in EDs, comparing practices to subsequent laboratory-confirmed results.

Design Setting and Participants

This systematic review and meta-analysis included studies from US EDs reporting GC/CT testing and empiric antibiotic treatment from January 2010 to February 2021. A total of 1,644 articles were screened, with 17 studies (n = 31,062 patients) meeting inclusion criteria.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcomes were GC/CT test positivity, empiric antibiotic treatment rates, and discordance between treatment and test results, stratified by sex. Data were analyzed using a random-effects model.

Results

Overall GC/CT positivity was 14% (95% CI, 11%-16%): 11% (95% CI, 8%-14%) in females and 25% (95% CI, 23%-26%) in males. Empiric antibiotic treatment was administered in 46% (95% CI, 38%-55%) of cases: 31% (95% CI, 24%-37%) in females and 73% (95% CI, 65%-80%) in males. Among patients without a laboratory-confirmed infection, 38% (95% CI, 30%-47%) received treatment: 27% (95% CI, 20%-34%) of females and 64% (95% CI, 55%-73%) of males. Conversely, 39% (95% CI, 31%-48%) of patients with laboratory-confirmed infections were not treated: 52% (95% CI, 46%-57%) of females and 15% (95% CI, 12%-17%) of males.

Conclusions and Relevance

There is significant discordance between ED empiric antibiotic treatment and laboratory-confirmed results, with notable sex-based disparities. Females were 3.5 times more likely than males to miss treatment despite confirmed infection. These findings highlight the need for improved strategies to reduce sex-based disparities and enhance empiric treatment accuracy for GC/CT in ED settings.

Key Points

Question: Are there sex-based differences in empiric antibiotic treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia in US emergency departments (EDs), and how do these practices compare to laboratory-confirmed results?Findings: In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 17 studies with 31,062 patients, females were significantly less likely than males to receive empiric antibiotic treatment for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Additionally, 39% of patients with a laboratory-confirmed infection were not empirically treated, with females 3.5 times more likely to miss treatment than males.Meaning: The findings indicate significant sex disparities in ED empiric antibiotic treatment for sexually transmitted infections, underscoring the need for improved strategies to ensure equitable and accurate treatment across sexes.

Sex bias in pain management decisions

In the pursuit of mental and physical health, effective pain management stands as a cornerstone. Here, we examine a potential sex bias in pain management. Leveraging insights from psychological research showing that females' pain is stereotypically judged as less intense than males' pain, we hypothesize that there may be tangible differences in pain management decisions based on patients' sex. Our investigation spans emergency department (ED) datasets from two countries, including discharge notes of patients arriving with pain complaints (N = 21,851). Across these datasets, a consistent sex disparity emerges. Female patients are less likely to be prescribed pain-relief medications compared to males, and this disparity persists even after adjusting for patients' reported pain scores and numerous patient, physician, and ED variables. This disparity extends across medical practitioners, with both male and female physicians prescribing less pain-relief medications to females than to males. Additional analyses reveal that female patients' pain scores are 10% less likely to be recorded by nurses, and female patients spend an additional 30 min in the ED compared to male patients. A controlled experiment employing clinical vignettes reinforces our hypothesis, showing that nurses (N = 109) judge pain of female patients to be less intense than that of males. We argue that the findings reflect an undertreatment of female patients' pain. We discuss the troubling societal and medical implications of females' pain being overlooked and call for policy interventions to ensure equal pain treatment.

The prevalence of pain catastrophising in nulliparous women in Nepal; the importance for childbirth

In Lower-Middle-Income-Countries women are encouraged to present at a birthing facility for skilled care, but attending early can be associated with additional harm. Women admitted in latent labour are more likely to receive a cascade of unnecessary interventions compared with those attending a birthing facility during active labour. One reason that women present early is pain, with higher rates of admission among those who pain catastrophise. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of pain catastrophising in nulliparous women in Nepal and to identify predictors for pain catastrophising. A cross sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured survey. The survey was completed by 170 women (18-32 years) in one higher education institution in Kathmandu. The survey included the pain catastrophising scale (PCS), current and previous pain and information about period pain, sociodemographic variables of age, ethnicity, and religion. The prevalence of pain catastrophising reported at a cut off score of PCS≥20 was 55.9% and at a cut off score of PCS≥30 was 17.1%. All women with a PCS ≥30 reported having painful periods. Those with a PCS≥20 were four times [95%CI 1.93-8.42] more likely to report painful periods affecting their daily activities (p<0.001) and those with PCS≥30 three times [95%CI1.10-10.53] more likely (p<0.05). In both cases ethnicity and age were not associated. Women with higher PCS were less likely to take pain medication. A high prevalence of pain catastrophising was reported. It is important to understand how women's previous negative experiences of pain and pain catastrophising are perceived and if they are contributing to the rise in obstetric intervention, particularly caesarean births, in Nepal. We recommend repeating this study with a larger sample representing a more diverse population.

Using case vignettes to study the presence of outcome, hindsight, and implicit bias in acute unplanned medical care: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE

Various biases can impact decision-making and judgment of case quality in the Emergency Department (ED). Outcome and hindsight bias can lead to wrong retrospective judgment of care quality, and implicit bias can result in unjust treatment differences in the ED based on irrelevant patient characteristics.

OBJECTIVES

First, to evaluate the extent to which knowledge of an outcome influences physicians' quality of care assessment. Secondly, to examine whether patients with functional disorders receive different treatment compared to patients with a somatic past medical history.

DESIGN

A web-based cross-sectional study in which physicians received case vignettes with a case description and care provided. Physicians were informed about vignette outcomes in a randomized way (no, good, or bad outcome). Physicians rated quality of care for four case vignettes with different outcomes. Subsequently, they received two more case vignettes. Physicians were informed about the past medical history of the patient in a randomized way (somatic or functional). Physicians made treatment and diagnostic decisions for both cases.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

One hundred ninety-one Dutch emergency physicians (EPs) and general practitioners (GPs) participated.

OUTCOME MEASURES AND ANALYSIS

Quality of care was rated on a Likert scale (0-5) and dichotomized as adequate (yes/no). Physicians estimated the likelihood of patients experiencing a bad outcome for hindsight bias. For the second objective, physicians decided on prescribing analgesics and additional diagnostic tests.

MAIN RESULTS

Large differences existed in rated quality of care for three out of four vignettes based on different case outcomes. For example, physicians rated the quality of care as adequate in 44% (95% CI 33-57%) for an abdominal pain case with a bad outcome, compared to 88% (95% CI 78-94%) for a good outcome, and 84% (95% CI 73-91%) for no outcome ( P  < 0.01). The estimated likelihood of a bad outcome was higher if physicians received a vignette with a bad patient outcome. Fewer diagnostic tests were performed and fewer opioids were prescribed for patients with a functional disorder.

CONCLUSION

Outcome, hindsight, and implicit bias significantly influence decision-making and care quality assessment by Dutch EPs and GPs.

Abdominal Ultrasonography Used for Abdominal Pain in the Rural Outpatient Setting of South Texas: Impact on Patient Outcomes

Introduction Abdominal ultrasonography is a key diagnostic tool used in complaints of abdominal pain. The rationale for this study is to examine abdominal ultrasonography's impact on the conclusion of care of abdominal pain in a predominantly Hispanic/Latino patient population. Materials and methods A chart review of 350 patients with a new diagnosis of abdominal pain from a rural family practice clinic in Texas was performed. These patients' charts were reviewed for a new diagnosis of abdominal pain, medications prescribed for abdominal pain, whether abdominal ultrasonography was completed, and the number of visits regarding their complaint. The last visit for their abdominal pain was denoted as the conclusion of care of abdominal pain within the clinic. The primary analyses were logistic regressions with conclusion of pain care or number of visits as the outcome and abdominal ultrasound completion as the primary predictor. Results The sample size was 216 of the 350. Patients were excluded due to age under 18 and if the patient's pain was not coded as epigastric, generalized, or right upper quadrant pain. The patient age range was 18-88 years, and they were all of Hispanic/Latino origin. Abdominal ultrasound was completed on 59 of the patients, and 65 patients experienced conclusion of primary care for abdominal pain. Regarding the number of visits for abdominal pain, 69% had one visit, 25% had two visits, and 6% had three or more visits. Patients who had abdominal ultrasounds were more likely to have multiple visits (typically just two visits) but had markedly higher conclusions of care for abdominal pain. These relationships remained when adjusting for demographic and medical covariates such as age, abdominal pain (all types), and medical treatments used. Conclusion In the outpatient rural care of Hispanic/Latino patients residing in the Rio Grande Valley, patients who had a new complaint of abdominal pain were more likely to have conclusion of primary care for abdominal pain, with only a slight increase in primary care healthcare consumption, if abdominal ultrasonography was completed for abdominal pain.

The hormonal profile in women using combined monophasic oral contraceptive pills varies across the pill cycle: a temporal analysis of serum endogenous and exogenous hormones using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectroscopy

Oral contraceptive pills, of all types, are used by approximately 151 million women worldwide; however, a clear understanding of the concentrations of endogenous and exogenous hormones across a 28-day combination monophasic oral contraceptive pill pack is not well described. In our study of 14 female participants taking various combination monophasic oral contraceptive pills, we found significant fluctuations in endogenous and exogenous hormone levels throughout the pill cycle. Our analysis revealed significantly greater levels of ethinyl estradiol on the 20th and 21st days of active pill ingestion, compared with days 1-2 (active) and days 27-28 (inactive pill ingestion). Conversely, estradiol concentrations decreased during active pill consumption, while progestin and progesterone levels remained stable. During the 7 days of inactive pill ingestion, estradiol levels rose sharply and were significantly higher at days 27-28 compared with the mid and late active phase time points, while ethinyl estradiol declined and progestin did not change. These findings challenge the previous assumption that endogenous and exogenous hormones are stable throughout the 28-day pill cycle.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The results from this study have wide-ranging implications for research and treatment in women's health including considerations in research design and interpretation for studies including women taking oral contraceptives, the potential for more precise and personalized methods of dosing to reduce unwanted side effects and adverse events, and the potential treatment of a variety of disorders ranging from musculoskeletal to neurological with exogenous hormones.

Social Class and Social Pain: Target SES Biases Judgments of Pain and Support for White Target Individuals

Social pain, defined as distress caused by negative interpersonal experiences (e.g., ostracism, mistreatment), is detrimental to health. Yet, it is unclear how social class might shape judgments of the social pains of low-socioeconomic status (SES) and high-SES individuals. Five studies tested competing toughness and empathy predictions for SES's effect on social pain judgments. Consistent with an empathy account, in all studies (Ncumulative = 1,046), low-SES White targets were judged more sensitive to social pain than high-SES White targets. Further, empathy mediated these effects, such that participants felt greater empathy and expected more social pain for low-SES targets relative to high-SES targets. Social pain judgments also informed judgments of social support needs, as low-SES targets were presumed to need more coping resources to manage hurtful events than high-SES targets. The current findings provide initial evidence that empathic concern for low-SES White individuals sensitizes social pain judgments and increases expected support needs for lower class White individuals.

Factors associated with a negative Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) response with intrauterine device placement: A retrospective survey of HER Salt Lake participants

OBJECTIVES

In an established cohort of HER Salt Lake Contraceptive Initiative participants with a prior intrauterine device (IUD) placement, we sought to (1) define the proportion of participants who reported a negative Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) response, (2) explore factors associated with an unacceptable PASS response, and (3) identify pain management preferences for IUD placement.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective survey was sent to 1440 HER Salt Lake IUD users. A PASS question queried IUD placement pain experience acceptability. We explored associations between an unacceptable PASS response and sociodemographic, reproductive and other individual characteristics using t-tests, chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of those surveyed, 620 responded (43%), and 41.6% reported an unacceptable PASS response. Those with an unacceptable PASS response reported a significantly higher experienced pain level (79.2 mm vs 51.8 mm; p < 0.01) than those with an acceptable response, were more likely to have an anxiety diagnosis (47.7% vs 37.1%; p < 0.01), and have a trauma history (33.7% vs 25.1%; p = 0.02). Most patients were not offered pain control options, but 29.4% used ibuprofen and 25.3% had a support person. Regardless of PASS response, if offered, 59.0% desired numbing medication, 56.8% ibuprofen, 51% heating pad, 33.2% support person, and 31.8% anti-anxiety medication, among others. In our multivariable logistic regression model, higher pain was associated with unacceptable PASS response (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05-1.08; p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The common finding of unacceptable pain experiences with IUD placement may cause negative perceptions of an otherwise desirable method. Incorporation of the PASS response into IUD pain management studies could expand our pain experience understanding.

IMPLICATIONS

IUD placement resulted in unacceptable pain experiences for 41.6% of respondents. Screening for anxiety and trauma history could identify at-risk patients to individualize pain management strategies. Incorporation of the PASS into future IUD pain management studies could result in a more comprehensive, patient-centered measure of patient experiences.

Representation of Women and Women's Health in Australian Medical School Course Outlines, Curriculum Requirements, and Selected Core Clinical Textbooks

Background

Historically, medical research has, outside of reproductive health, neglected the health needs of women. Medical studies have previously excluded female participants, meaning research data have been collected from males and generalized to females. Knowledge gained from research is translated to clinical education and patient care, and female exclusion may result in gaps in the medical school curricula and textbooks.

Materials and Methods

This study involved a desktop review of the Australian Medical Council Standards for assessment and accreditation of primary medical programs, the online publicly available Australian medical school course outlines, and finally, an analysis of the recommended textbooks.

Results

There is no fixed or explicit requirement to include women's health in Australian medical school curricula. Medical school course outlines do not adequately include women's health; similarly, clinical medicine textbooks do not account for sex and gender differences.

Conclusion

Important sex and gender differences in medicine are not reflected adequately in the medical school course outlines, curricula, or clinical textbooks. This may have significant consequences on women's health.

Primary care clinicians' perspectives on interacting with patients with gynaecological conditions: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Studies have found that women with gynaecological conditions and symptoms do not feel listened to by primary care clinicians (PCCs). Less understood is whether PCCs perceive that there are challenges around listening to and interacting with this patient group.

AIM

To understand PCCs' perspectives on the challenges of listening to and interacting with women patients with gynaecological conditions and symptoms.

DESIGN & SETTING

Systematic review of English-language studies.

METHOD

We searched ASSIA (Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Embase, HMIC (Healthcare Management Information Consortium), and MEDLINE from inception to July 2023. We also conducted forward and backward citation searches of included studies. Identified records were screened independently by two reviewers. Data extraction was undertaken by one reviewer and checked by a second. Quality appraisal used the Wallace checklist. 'Best-fit' framework synthesis was used to synthesise findings around themes that explored the challenges of patient-clinician interaction.

RESULTS

We identified 25 relevant articles. Perceived challenges associated with listening to and interacting with patients with gynaecological conditions and symptoms were identified at four 'levels': individual clinician level factors; structural and organisational factors; community and external factors; and factors related to gynaecological conditions. Interpretive analysis identified specific challenges relating to sociocultural factors affecting the consultation experience; the need for further education, training, or guidance for clinicians; factors affecting referral decisions; and factors related to service structure and organisation.

CONCLUSION

PCCs acknowledge that empathy, respect, and attentive listening are important when interacting with women patients with gynaecological conditions and symptoms. However, these ideals are impeded by several factors.

Women's experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain in Ireland: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that women's abdominal pain is more likely to be minimised or dismissed by healthcare professionals than men's. This can have a detrimental impact on health-related outcomes as well as quality of life. The aim of this study was to explore women's experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain in Ireland.

METHOD

A qualitative design and opportunity sampling approach were employed in this study. Fourteen women living in Ireland with experience of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain took part in one-to-one semi-structured interviews via video-conferencing software. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes were constructed from the data: [1] "Just Get on with It" - Normalisation and Invalidation; [2] "Bad Enough"? Costs of (Not) Seeking Help; [3] "Fight Your Case," Fight for Care; and [4] "Out of the Loop" - Systemic Barriers to Care. Perceived invalidation of pain by healthcare professionals was common, as was internalised normalisation of pain. This created challenges when negotiating pain management solutions. Despite functional interference, participants felt their pain needed to reach an extreme level of severity before seeking help. Costs of private healthcare were implicated in delayed help-seeking. Participants felt the onus was on them to fight for care. Social support and information-seeking facilitated participants in this fight while systemic issues were identified as barriers to adequate care. Despite their frustrations, participants expressed empathy for healthcare professionals operating in a flawed system.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants described mostly negative experiences of seeking healthcare for abdominal pain, characterised by dismissal of symptoms and internalisation of normative views of women's pain as less worthy of care. These experiences reinforced participants' views that self-advocacy is essential to access care for their pain. There are systemic issues at play within the Irish healthcare system that limit women's ability to access abdominal pain management support. Education and training for healthcare professionals on the Gender Pain Gap and its implications for patient care, as well as clear referral pathways for women presenting with abdominal pain, may help to ensure more equitable healthcare delivery for individuals with abdominal pain in Ireland.

State-level policies and receipt of CDC-informed opioid thresholds among commercially insured new chronic opioid users

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the association of state-level policies on receipt of opioid regimens informed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) morphine milligram equivalent (MME)/day recommendations.

DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study of new chronic opioid users (NCOUs).

SETTING

Commercially insured plans across the United States using IQVIA PharMetrics® Plus for Academics database with new chronic use between January 2014 and March 2015.

PARTICIPANTS

NCOUs with ≥60-day coverage of opioids within a 90-day period with ≥30-day opioid-free period prior to the date of the first qualifying opioid prescription.

INTERVENTIONS

State-level policies including Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) robustness and cannabis policies involving the presence of medical dispensaries and state-wide decriminalization.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

NCOUs were placed in three-tiered risk-based average MME/day thresholds: low (>0 to <50), medium (≥50 to <90), and high (≥90). Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the association of state-level policies with the thresholds while adjusting for relevant patient-specific factors.

RESULTS

NCOUs in states with medium or high PDMP robustness had lower odds of receiving medium (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.74; 95 percent confidence interval [CI]: 0.62-0.69) and high (AOR 0.74; 95 percent CI: 0.59-0.92) thresholds. With respect to cannabis policies, NCOUs in states with medical cannabis dispensaries had lower odds of receiving high (AOR 0.75; 95 percent CI: 0.60-0.93) thresholds, while cannabis decriminalization had higher odds of receiving high (AOR 1.24; 95 percent CI: 1.04-1.49) thresholds.

CONCLUSION

States with highly robust PDMPs and medical cannabis dispensaries had lower odds of receiving higher opioid thresholds, while cannabis decriminalization correlated with higher odds of receiving high opioid thresholds.

National Trends and Predictors of Opioid Administration in Patients Presenting With Abdominal Pain to the Emergency Department (2010-2018)

Given the current opioid crisis, in this study, we assess the national trend and factors associated with opioid administration for patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2010 to 2018. Weighted multiple logistic regression was applied to assess the independent factors associated with opioid administration in the emergency department. Trends of opioid administration were evaluated using the linear trend analysis. There were an estimated total of 100,925,982 emergency department visits for abdominal pain. Overall, opioid was administered in 16.8% of visits. Age less than 25 years was associated with lower odds of receiving opioids. Patients living in the Northeast had the lower odds of receiving opioids (odds ratio [OR] = 0.82, p = .006) than patients living in the Midwest. Patients in the West had the highest odds of receiving opioids (OR = 1.16, p = .01). Non-Hispanic White patients had higher odds of opioid administration (OR = 1.29, p < .001). Trend analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in opioid administration. From 2010 to 2018, opioid administration has approximately decreased in half. Living in the West and the non-Hispanic White racial group were the significant factors associated with a higher risk of opioid administration.

Analgesia Administration by Sex Among Pediatric Emergency Department Patients with Abdominal Pain

Background

There is conflicting data about sex-based differences in the treatment of acute pain in the ED. Little is known about sex-based disparities in analgesia in pediatric ED patients.

Objectives

Our objective was to determine whether analgesic administration rates differ between female and male pediatric patients presenting to the ED with abdominal pain.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of ED patients 5-21 years old with abdominal pain between 6/1/19 and 6/30/21. The primary outcome was receipt of any analgesia, and secondary outcomes were receipt of opioid analgesia and time to receipt of analgesia. Multivariable regression models were fitted for each outcome.

Results

We studied 1,087 patients; 681 (63%) were female with a median age of 17 years (IQR 13, 19) and 406 (37%) were male with a median age of 14 years (IQR 9, 18). 371 female patients (55%) and 180 male patients (44%) received any analgesia. 132 female patients (19%) and 83 male patients (20%) received opioid analgesia. In multivariate analyses, female patients were equally likely to receive any analgesia (OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.97 - 1.74, p = 0.07), but time to analgesia was 14% longer (GMR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.29, p = 0.04). Non-White patients were 32% less likely to receive opioids (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.47 - 0.97, p = 0.04).

Conclusions

Female pediatric ED patients were equally likely to receive any analgesia as male patients, but their time to analgesia was longer. Non-White patients were less likely to receive opioid analgesia than White patients.

Effectiveness of patients' involvement in a medical and nursing pain education programme: a protocol for an open-label randomised controlled trial including qualitative data

INTRODUCTION

Pain is a multidimensional experience that varies among individuals and has a significant impact on their health. A biopsychosocial approach is recommended for effective pain management; however, health professionals' education is weak on this issue. Patient involvement is a promising didactic methodology in developing a more holistic perspective, however there is a lack of reliable evidence on this topic. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of patient involvement in pain education in undergraduate medicine and nursing students.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

An open-label randomised controlled trial including qualitative data will be conducted. After an introductory lesson, each student will be randomly assigned to the intervention group, which includes an educational session conducted by a patient-partner along with an educator, or to the control group in which the session is exclusively conducted by an educator. Both sessions will be carried out according to the Case-Based Learning approach. Primary outcomes will be students' knowledge, attitudes, opinions and beliefs about pain management, whereas the secondary outcome will be students' satisfaction. The Pain Knowledge and Attitudes (PAK) and Chronic Pain Myth Scale (CPMS) will be administered preintervention and postintervention to measure primary outcomes. Students' satisfaction will be measured by a questionnaire at the end of the session. Two focus groups will be conducted to evaluate non-quantifiable aspects of learning.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol of this study was approved by the independent Area Vasta Emilia Nord ethics committee.Adherence to The Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice will ensure that the rights, safety and well-being of the participants in the study are safeguarded, as well as data reliability. The results will be disseminated through scientific publications and used to improve the educational offer. A version of the anonymised data set will be released for public access.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial was not registered on ClinicalTrials.gov as the interventions being compared only concern educational programmes and the outcomes considered do not refer to any clinical dimension.

Patient-centered or population-centered? How epistemic discrepancies cause harm and sow mistrust

Medical distrust is often conceived of as a problem of misinformation or ignorance. In this paper, I depart from this framework, attributing distrust instead to epistemic divergence between lay people and experts. Using data from a contraceptive side effects Facebook group and in-depth physician interviews, I find that providers employ a "body-as-subject" lens informed by population-health goals, while group members employ a "body-as-agent" lens that privileges individuality and bodily autonomy. Provider epistemologies are privileged, creating epistemic injustice and harm for patients. Ultimately, this erodes trust in providers and the medical community more broadly.

Quantitative somatosensory testing of the abdomen: establishing initial reference values across developmental age and biological sex

ABSTRACT

Abdominal pain is a common symptom of several debilitating conditions (eg, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and endometriosis) and affects individuals throughout their lifespan. Quantitative sensory testing (QST) reference values exist for many body sites but not the abdomen. Using a QST battery adapted from the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain, we collected QST data on the upper and lower abdomen in 181 pain-free participants, ages 12 to 50 years, to establish reference values by age and biological sex. The normative values are presented as medians for each QST measure by sex (male, n = 63; female, n = 118) and across 3 age categories (adolescents: 12-19 years, n = 48; young adults: 20-30 years, n = 87; and adults: 31-50 years, n = 46). Evaluating the sensory functioning of the abdomen and characterizing ranges of QST measures is an essential first step in understanding and monitoring the clinical course of sensory abnormalities in patients with underlying diseases affecting the abdomen and pelvis. The impact of age and development on sensory functioning is necessary, given age-related changes in pain perception and modulation.

The role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for menstrual pain relief: A randomized control trial

BACKGROUND

Abdominal pain due to menses (primary dysmenorrhea) is an extremely pervasive and debilitating symptom affecting up to 90% of menstruating individuals.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this randomized control trial was to investigate the effect of a commercial transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit, Therabody PowerDot® (Therabody Inc., Los Angeles) on dysmenorrhea compared with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

DESIGN

This was a randomized cross-over study.

METHODS

A total of 47 participants agreed to participate in the study, with 34 completing it. Participants completed treatments across three consecutive menstrual cycles in randomized order: single-unit transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Uno), dual unit transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Duo), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use (Control). Upon onset of dysmenorrhea, participants applied transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to their abdomen for a minimum of 30 min. Control participants were instructed to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as needed. Surveys were used to record pain before and after treatment. We hypothesized that the PowerDot would decrease self-reported pain scores, and decrease non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug consumption during menses.

RESULTS

Participants experienced a statistically and clinically significant reduction in pain during the Control (-3.52 ± 1.9), Uno (-2.10 ± 1.6), and Duo (-2.19 ± 1.7) cycles (p < 0.001). The doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs consumed during the Control cycle (3.5 ± 2.6), was significantly different as compared with that of Uno (1.5 ± 3.0), or Duo (1.1 ± 2.6) (p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a commercial transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit results in significant decrease in pain. Although not as robust as the relief in pain induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the adverse events of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation are minimal in comparison. Therefore, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation appears to be a viable alternative to pain relief from dysmenorrhea.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05178589.

The Importance of Gender-Sensitive Health Care in the Context of Pain, Emergency and Vaccination: A Narrative Review

So far, health care has been insufficiently organized in a gender-sensitive way, which makes the promotion of care that meets the needs of women and men equally emerge as a relevant public health problem. The aim of this narrative review was to outline the need for more gender-sensitive medical care in the context of pain, emergency care and vaccinations. In this narrative review, a selective search was performed in Pubmed, and the databases of the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Institute for Gender Equality and the German Federal Ministry of Health were searched. Study data indicate that there are differences between men and women with regard to the ability to bear pain. On the other hand, socially constructed role expectations in pain and the communication of these are also relevant. Studies indicate that women receive adequate pain medication less often than men with a comparable pain score. Furthermore, study results indicate that the female gender is associated with an increased risk of inadequate emergency care. In terms of vaccine provision, women are less likely than men to utilize or gain access to vaccination services, and there are gender-sensitive differences in vaccine efficacy and safety. Sensitization in teaching, research and care is needed to mitigate gender-specific health inequalities.

Gender-based differences in assessment and management of acute abdominal pain in the emergency department: A retrospective audit

BACKGROUND

Previous research has identified gender-based differences in acute pain management in the emergency department [ED]. The aim of this study was to compare pharmacological management of acute abdominal pain in the ED by gender.

METHODS

A retrospective chart audit was conducted at one private metropolitan ED including adult patients (18-80 years) who presented with acute abdominal pain in 2019. Exclusion criteria included: pregnancy, repeat presentation within the study period, pain-free at initial medical review or documented refusal of analgesia, and oligo-analgesia. Comparisons by gender included: (1) analgesia type and (2) time to analgesia. Bivariate analysis was undertaken using SPSS.

RESULTS

There were 192 participants: 61 (31.6 %) men and 131 (67.9 %) women. Men were more likely to get combined opioid and non-opioid medication as first line analgesia (men: 26.2 % n = 16; women: 14.5 % n = 19, p = .049). Median time from ED presentation to analgesia was 80 min for men (IQR: 60) versus 94 min for women (IQR: 58), (p = .119). Women (25.2 % n = 33) were more likely to receive their first analgesic after 90 min from ED presentation compared to men versus men (11.5 %, n = 7 p = .029). In addition, women waited longer before receiving second analgesia (women: 94, men: 30 min, p = .032).

CONCLUSION

Findings confirm there are differences in pharmacological management of acute abdominal pain in the ED. Larger studies are required to further explore differences observed in this study.

Prevalence of chronic pain or analgesic use in children and young people and its long-term impact on substance misuse, mental illness, and prescription opioid use: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study

Background

Epidemiological studies suggest chronic and recurrent pain affects around a quarter of children, while 8% report intense and frequent pain. The long-term implications of chronic pain in childhood are uncertain. Using electronic health records (EHRs) we used both disease codes and medicines prescription records to investigate the scale of chronic pain and long-term analgesic use in children and young people (CYP), and if chronic pain and/or use of analgesic medicines at an early age is associated with substance misuse, use of prescription opioids, and poor mental health in adulthood.

Methods

We conducted a cohort study using data from IQVIA Medical Research Data UK. We identified individuals aged 2-24 with exposure to either a diagnostic code indicating chronic pain (diagnosis-exposed), repeat prescription for medicines commonly used to treat pain (prescription-exposed), or both. Follow-up began at 25, and the unexposed population acted as comparators. We calculated hazard ratios (HR) for mental health and substance misuse outcomes, and rate ratios (RR) for opioid prescriptions in adulthood. Additionally, we investigated which diagnoses, if any, were over-represented in the prescription-exposed subgroup.

Findings

The cohort constituted 853,625 individuals; 146,431 had one or more of the exposures of interest (diagnosis-exposed = 115,101, prescription-exposed = 20,298, both-exposed = 11,032), leaving 707,194 as comparators. Median age at index exposure was 18.7 years (IQR 14.7-22.3). On average during follow-up, the pooled exposed group had, respectively, a 31% and 17% higher risk of adverse mental health and substance misuse outcomes (adjusted HR [95% CI] of 1.31 [1.29-1.32] and 1.17 [1.11-1.24]). Exposed individuals also received prescription opioids at double the rate of unexposed individuals on average during follow-up (adjusted RR 2.01 [95% CI 1.95-2.10]). Outcomes varied between exposure subgroups, with prescription- and both-exposure tending to have worse outcomes. Unlike these two subgroups, in the diagnosis-exposed subgroup we did not detect a greater risk of substance misuse.

Interpretation

Chronic pain in CYP is associated with increased prescription opioid use and adverse mental health outcomes in adulthood, as is repeat prescription for analgesic medicines, but only the latter is also associated with substance misuse in adulthood. It is essential to avoid the harms of under-treating pain in CYP while giving due consideration to the risks posed by analgesic medicines. Early recognition of chronic pain in CYP and utilising non-pharmacological management options may help minimise overprescribing, and long-term reliance on dependence-forming-drugs.

Funding

AL is an NIHR funded academic clinical fellow, and was supported by funding from UCLH Charities while carrying out this work. RS and DS are part of the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform and were supported by a UKRI and Versus Arthritis grant (MR/W002566/1) as part of the Consortium Against Pain Inequality. AW was supported by the Wellcome Trust (220558/Z/20/Z).

Racial Disparities in Pain Among Women with Fibromyalgia: Secondary Data Analysis of Severity, Interference with Function, and Response to Guided Imagery

Background: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread persistent musculoskeletal pain. Mostly prevalent among White women, little is known about FMS in other population cohorts. This study examined secondary data of a racially diverse sample of women with FMS that were collected as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial that examined the effect of a complementary therapy intervention over the course of a 10-week guided imagery intervention to identify demographic, social, or economic differences in self-reported pain. Materials and Methods: The Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), which measures pain severity and interference, was administered to 72 women (21 Black and 51 Whites) at baseline, 6 and 10 weeks. Student's t tests and time series regression models examined racial difference in pain dimensions and treatment response. Regression models accounted for age, race, income, duration of symptoms, treatment group, pain at baseline, smoking, alcohol use, comorbid conditions, and time. Results: Black women experienced significantly higher pain severity (β = 5.52, standard deviation [SD] = 2.13) and interference (β = 5.54, SD = 2.74) than Whites (severity β = 4.56, SD = 2.08; interference β = 4.72, SD = 2.76) (interference: t = 1.92, p = 0.05; severity: t = 2.95, p = 0.00). Disparities persisted over time. Controlling for differences in age, income, and previous pain levels, Black women had 0.26 (standard error [SE] = 0.065) higher pain severity and 0.36 (SE = 0.078) higher interference than Whites. Low-income earners also experienced 2.02 (SE = 0.38) and 2.19 (SE = 0.46) higher pain severity and interference, respectively, than other earners. Results were robust to inclusion of comorbidities. Conclusions: Black women and low-income earners experienced significantly higher levels of pain severity and interference and a lower dose response to the intervention. Differentials were robust to inclusion of demographic, health, and behavioral characteristics. Findings suggest that external factors may contribute to pain perception among women with FMS.

Women exaggerate, men downplay: Gendered endorsement of emotional dramatization stereotypes contributes to gender bias in pain expectations

The current work tested whether perceivers believe that women, relative to men, are likely to exaggerate versus downplay pain, an effect we refer to as the gender-pain exaggeration bias. The gender-pain exaggeration bias was operationalized as the extent to which perceivers believe women, relative to men, claim more pain than they feel. Across four experiments, we found that women were expected to exaggerate pain more than men and men were expected to downplay pain more than women (Studies 1-4). Further, judgments that women were more emotionally dramatizing than men contributed to this gender-pain exaggeration bias (Studies 2 and 4). We also assessed whether perceiver-level differences in endorsement of gendered emotional dramatization stereotypes (Studies 3-4) moderated this gender-pain exaggeration bias and found that endorsement of gendered emotional dramatization stereotypes moderated this bias. In sum, we document a relative gender-pain exaggeration bias wherein perceivers believe women, relative to men, to be emotionally dramatizing and therefore more likely to exaggerate versus downplay their pain. This bias may lead perceivers to interpret women's, relative to men's, pain reports as overstatements, inauthentic, or dramatized. Thus, the current work may have implications for well-documented biases in perceptions of (i.e., underestimating) and responses to (i.e., undertreating) women's pain.

Factors affecting do-not-attempt-resuscitation (DNAR) decisions among adult patients in the emergency department of a general tertiary teaching hospital in China: a retrospective observational study

OBJECTIVE

Do-not-attempt-resuscitation (DNAR) orders are designed to allow patients to opt out of receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the event of a cardiac arrest. While DNAR has become a standard component of medical care, there is limited research available specifically focusing on DNAR orders in the context of emergency departments in China. This study aimed to fill that gap by examining the factors related to DNAR orders among patients in the emergency department of a general tertiary teaching hospital in China.

DESIGN

Retrospective observational study.

SETTING

Emergency department.

PARTICIPANTS

This study and analysis on adult patients with DNAR or no DNAR data between 1 January 2022 and 1 January 2023 in the emergency department of a large academic comprehensive tertiary teaching hospital. A total of 689 were included in our study.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Whether the patient received DNAR was our dependent variable.

RESULTS

Among the total patients, 365 individuals (53.0%) had DNAR orders. The following variables, including age, sex, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI), primary diagnosis of cardiogenic or cancer related, history of neurological dysfunction or cancer, were independently associated with the difference between the DNAR group and the no DNAR group. Furthermore, there were significant statistical differences observed in the choice of DNAR among patients with different stages of cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison to the no DNAR group, patients with DNAR were characterised by being older, having a higher proportion of female patients, higher ACCI scores, a lower number of patients with a primary diagnosis of cardiogenic and a higher number of patients with a primary diagnosis of cancer related, history of neurological dysfunction or cancer.

Functional neurological disorder is a feminist issue

Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a common and disabling disorder, often misunderstood by clinicians. Although viewed sceptically by some, FND is a diagnosis that can be made accurately, based on positive clinical signs, with clinical features that have remained stable for over 100 years. Despite some progress in the last decade, people with FND continue to suffer subtle and overt forms of discrimination by clinicians, researchers and the public. There is abundant evidence that disorders perceived as primarily affecting women are neglected in healthcare and medical research, and the course of FND mirrors this neglect. We outline the reasons why FND is a feminist issue, incorporating historical and contemporary clinical, research and social perspectives. We call for parity for FND in medical education, research and clinical service development so that people affected by FND can receive the care they need.

Innovations in Multiple Sclerosis Care: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence via Machine Learning on Clinical Research and Decision-Making

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its specialized subcomponent machine learning are becoming increasingly popular analytic techniques. With this growth, clinicians and health care professionals should soon expect to see an increase in diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative technologies and processes that use elements of AI. The purpose of this review is twofold. First, we provide foundational knowledge that will help health care professionals understand these modern algorithmic techniques and their implementation for classification and clustering tasks. The phrases artificial intelligence and machine learning are defined and distinguished, as are the metrics by which they are assessed and delineated. Subsequently, 7 broad categories of algorithms are discussed, and their uses explained. Second, this review highlights several key studies that exemplify advances in diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation for individuals with multiple sclerosis using a variety of data sources-from wearable sensors to questionnaires and serology-and elements of AI. This review will help health care professionals and clinicians better understand AI-dependent diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative techniques, thereby facilitating a greater quality of care.

The 2023 Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Canada: The Influence of Sex and Gender on Canadians Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Sex (the physical and physiologic effects resulting from having specific combinations of sex chromosomes) and gender (sex-associated behaviours, expectations, identities, and roles) significantly affect the course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the experience of living with IBD. Sex-influenced physiologic states, like puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and andropause/menopause may also impact and be impacted by IBD. While neither Crohn's disease nor ulcerative colitis is commonly considered sex-determined illnesses, the relative incidence of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis between males and females varies over the life cycle. In terms of gender, women tend to use healthcare resources at slightly higher rates than men and are more likely to have fragmented care. Women are more commonly prescribed opioid medications and are less likely than men to undergo colectomy. Women tend to report lower quality of life and have higher indirect costs due to higher rates of disability. Women are also more likely to take on caregiver roles for children with IBD. Women with IBD are more commonly burdened with adverse mental health concerns and having poor mental health has a more profound impact on women than men. Pregnant people with active IBD have higher rates of adverse outcomes in pregnancy, made worse in regions with poor access to IBD specialist care. The majority of individuals with IBD in Canada do not have access to a pregnancy-in-IBD specialist; access to this type of care has been shown to allay fears and increase knowledge among pregnant people with IBD.