Age and pain as predictors of discomfort in patients undergoing transfemoral percutaneous coronary interventions

Efficacy of virtual reality therapy versus pharmacological sedation for reducing pain and anxiety during coronary catheterisation procedures: A prospective randomised controlled trial

Background and Aims

The use of virtual reality (VR) therapy has grown considerably, as it is effective for reducing pain and anxiety in different clinical areas. However, it has not been well evaluated for coronary angiography and angioplasty. This study aimed to compare VR therapy with pharmacological sedation (Sedation) for reducing pain in patients undergoing a planned coronary angiography or coronary/peripheral angioplasty.

Methods

In this prospective randomized controlled trial, patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups before catheterization: a Sedation group (injection of midazolam and fentanyl) or a VR group (Deepsen VR headset). The primary outcome measure was the maximum pain during the procedure (visual analogue scale: 0-10). The secondary outcome measures were anxiety following the procedure (Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory: 20-80), the occurrence of arterial spasm, the haemodynamic profile and patient satisfaction.

Results

The VR group (n = 63) had a mean pain rating of 2.5; for the Sedation group (n = 59) this was 1.0. This did not meet the criterion for non-inferiority. Anxiety was comparable between the two groups (VR: 25.4; Sedation: 24.7), as was the occurrence of arterial spasm (VR: 7.9%; Sedation: 8.5%; p = 0.91), but blood pressure was higher in the VR group (140.2/71.7 mmHg vs. 121.8/64.7 mmHg). There were no VR-related adverse effects, and patient satisfaction was high for both groups.

Conclusions

Virtual reality therapy was not non-inferior to pharmacological sedation for reducing pain during coronary angiography or angioplasty. However, it reduced anxiety to a comparable level. Virtual reality therapy represents an alternative to pharmacological sedation, which is well accepted by patients.

'When age is not a barrier': an explorative study of nonagenarian patients' experiences of undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

AIMS

The recent rise in the number of nonagenarians (age ≥ 90 years) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has revealed gaps in research, in particular on patients' experiences. Therefore, the aim of the study was to explore and describe nonagenarians' internal resources and their experiences of the in-hospital pathway.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Nineteen nonagenarian patients (women n = 9), mean age 91 years, 9 acutely, and 10 electively treated, were consecutively enrolled from a tertiary university hospital from June 2021 to February 2023. In-depth interviews were conducted during hospitalization, audiotaped and transcribed. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Three sub-themes emerged from the nonagenarians' experiences with the PCI treatment trajectory: (i) Taking lifelong responsibility for own physical and mental health describes a population striving to live a healthy life and to stay independent. Physical and mental activities including healthy food choices had been an integral aspect of their lives from early childhood. (ii) Individual internal resources influenced the PCI pathway describes how their internal resources were used, from actively engaging in the decision-making process to withstanding discomfort during the PCI procedure. (iii) The post-PCI pathway was multifaceted describes a short stay at the cardiac ward with individual post-procedural experiences, close monitoring, and preparation for discharge including cardiac rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

Nonagenarians undergoing PCI demonstrated a personal incentive to stay healthy and independent. Their internal resources of independence, stoicism, and resilience were used during their in-hospital stay contributing to a successful PCI procedure. Individual cardiac rehabilitation strategies were highlighted after discharge from hospital.

Effects of a back-care bundle for reducing back pain among patients undergoing transfemoral artery coronary angiography: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a back-care bundle on back pain in patients undergoing transfemoral coronary angiography (TFA).

METHODOLOGY

This randomized controlled trial was conducted between March and June 2020. Thirty-four patients undergoing TFA were randomly assigned to either the back-care bundle or comparison group. The back pain score was measured using a visual analogue scale at baseline and at 2, 3, 4, and 6 h after TFA. Haemorrhage and subcutaneous thrombosis were assessed using a soft measuring tape immediately after TFA, hourly until the 6th hour, or after participants changed their positions. Generalised linear estimating equation models were used to estimate the effects of the interventions on back pain scores.

RESULTS

The back pain scores in the intervention group decreased significantly over time (mean difference: -0.15; 95 % confidence interval [CI] -0.23 to -0.07; p-value <0.001), while the back pain scores in the comparison group increased significantly over time (mean difference: 1.30; 95 % CI 1.15 to 1.44; p-value <0.001). Overall, the mean difference of back pain scores between the two groups was -2.98 (95 % CI -3.32 to -2.64; p-value <0.001). Haemorrhage and subcutaneous thrombosis were not detected in either group of patients.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The back-care bundle effectively alleviated back pain in individuals undergoing TFA, with varying levels of bleeding risk. However, the effects of the back-care bundle on vascular complications remain unclear. For patients who do not have prolonged bleeding time, the duration of bed rest and the placement of a sand cushion on the puncture site can be reduced. Future trials are needed to develop and examine the effect of interventions in reducing back pain in patients with extended bleeding time.

Music-induced analgesia for adults and older adults during femoral arterial sheath removal after cardiac catheterization: a randomized clinical trial protocol

Background

Cardiovascular diseases cause the death of 17.5 million people every year. Cardiac catheterization is an invasive diagnostic exam that allows treatment followed by the examination and can cause some complications such as pain. From this perspective, music has alleviated suffering and promoted pain relief for patients. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy to relieve pain in adults and older adults during femoral arterial sheath removal after cardiac catheterization.

Methods

This is a randomized controlled clinical trial, with two arms and a single-blind design to be carried out with 68 patients equally allocated into control and experimental groups. The intervention will be applied with the use of headphones without any musical transmission in the control group or with the patient’s musical preference in the experimental group with sound intensity of 60 dB. These patients will be evaluated in three moments: immediately before, during and 15 min after the painful procedure. The primary outcome includes reduction of pain intensity verified by the Visual Analogue Scale and the secondary outcome corresponds to improvement of vital signs and vocal and facial pain expressions.

Discussion

This study will allow by testing a non-pharmacological strategy to relieve pain during femoral sheath removal after cardiac catheterization, having its parameters evaluated at three moments: immediately before (30 min), during the procedure and 15 min after the painful procedure. It also enables the use of a low-cost, potentially effective resource that makes nursing care more humanized by improving user satisfaction with the service provided, in addition to reducing the need for post-procedure analgesics.

Trial registration

This study is registered on the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (REBEC) platform under number RBR-3t3qwp7 (05/04/2022) and was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte under CAAE 52,586,521.8.0000.5537 (11/11/2021).

Quantifying Pain Associated With Rib Fractures

INTRODUCTION

Rib fractures are a major problem in trauma patients, and the associated pain is not well understood. Measuring total pain experience, duration, and intensity could facilitate comparisons of treatments. This study was intended to evaluate the feasibility of quantifying pain over the course of an admission and identify factors associated with increased pain experience in adults with rib fractures.

METHODS

Patients admitted to a level I trauma center with rib fractures between 2015 and 2017 were included. Maximum pain score (verbal or nonverbal) was captured for each hospital day. Total pain was defined as the sum of the area under the curve (AUC) of the max pain scores plotted against time. A general linear model was used to determine demographic, injury, and clinical predictors of the pain AUC.

RESULTS

We identified 3713 patients. Increased pain experienced (greater AUC) was associated with age group 40-59 y compared with 18-39 y (B = 6.1, P = 0.002); Injury Severity Score 9-14 (B = 11.5, P < 0.001) and ≥16 (B = 36.9, P < 0.0001); patients with flail chest versus multiple rib fractures (B = 17.1, P < 0.001); and patients who underwent rib fixation (B = 20.7, P = 0.004). Decreased pain experience was observed for male gender (B = -3.7, P = 0.032) and blunt mechanism of injury (B = -13.7, P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring patients' total pain experience over the duration of their admission. Pain is a subjective but relevant measure of patients' experience. Our study identifies a number of predictive factors, some expected and some unexpected. Increased overall experience pain following fixation may be the result of severe pain before intervention.

Music Interventions in Percutaneous Coronary Procedures: A Meta-Analysis

To clarify the effectiveness of music intervention for improving the well-being of patients undergoing coronary procedures for coronary heart disease, we conducted full-text searches of various databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Airiti Library; 1966-2019) to identify randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies of music intervention in recipients of angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention. Outcome measures included anxiety, discomfort, pain, heart rate, and blood pressure. The Cochrane methodology, Jadad Quality Score, and ROBINS-I were employed to evaluate evidence from 10 studies. Music intervention reduced anxiety (effect size: Z = 2.15, p = .03; six studies) and discomfort of lying (Z = 2.40, p = .02; two studies), but did not affect pain (Z = 0.94; two studies), heart rate (Z = 0.94; five studies), or blood pressure (systolic, Z = 1.27; diastolic, Z = 1.32; four studies) (all p > .05). The heterogeneity among studies was high. Large-scale, transcultural, high-quality trials are warranted to confirm the benefit of music intervention in patients undergoing coronary procedures.