Chronic pain 1-5 years after heart transplantation-A nationwide cross-sectional cohort study.
Marita Dalvindt, Annika Kisch, Shahab Nozohoor and 2 others
PMID 32587734WHAT IT FOUND
58% of heart transplant recipients 1-5 years after transplantation reported persistent pain, most often in feet, back and calves.
Pain burden was higher in women, those not working, more fatigued, less recovered and with poorer psychological well-being.
Key findings
01Among 79 heart recipients, 58% (N=46) reported persistent pain and 42% (N=33) reported no pain.
02The three most common pain locations were feet, back and calves, and pain affected everyday life including preparing dinner, playing with grandchildren, work and social activities.
03Total pain intensity score was significantly higher among those not working (p = .05), strongly fatigued (p = .045), with poor psychological well-being (p = .043), or slightly/not recovered (p = .015).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study measured pain and other outcomes at one time point, so it cannot show whether pain caused inability to work, fatigue, poor recovery or poor psychological well-being. Only 79 heart recipients were analysed, and 10 did not return questionnaires because reminders were not sent during high nursing turnover; the exact number of dropouts for each reason could not be reconstructed. Participants were Swedish-speaking, mentally lucid, not hospitalised and without ongoing treatment for acute rejection, so the results may not apply to recipients too unwell to complete follow-up questionnaires. The transplant-specific symptom instrument had not been fully tested for stability or sensitivity to change, and the self-efficacy instrument was not validated or reliability tested in transplant recipients. Pain, well-being, fatigue and recovery were all self-reported, and the study did not test whether pain screening or treatment improved outcomes.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared. The study was funded by the Swedish Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the higher pain scores in women, those not working, or those with fatigue as proof that pain causes these problems. The study was cross-sectional and did not test any treatment.