The Potential Role of Preoperative Pain, Catastrophizing, and Differential Gene Expression on Pain Outcomes after Pediatric Spinal Fusion.
Mallory Perry, Christine B Sieberg, Erin E Young and 4 others
PMID 32771349WHAT IT FOUND
13 of 36 adolescents had persistent pain after spinal fusion.
Higher preoperative pain and helplessness were linked to that outcome. Nurses may want to ask about both before surgery.
Key findings
01Of 36 adolescents, 13 reported pain of at least 2 at final follow-up and were classified as having persistent pain.
02Preoperative pain was higher in the persistent pain group, 3.85 versus 1.35 on the 0 to 10 scale, and higher preoperative pain was associated with 1.5 times higher incidence of persistent pain.
03Preoperative helplessness was associated with 1.6 times higher incidence of persistent pain, while preoperative rumination was associated with 0.68 times lower incidence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small, with 36 adolescents overall and only 15 viable genetic samples. The genetic comparison was very small, with 6 adolescents in the persistent pain group and 9 in the non-persistent pain group. The study was descriptive, so it shows associations rather than proof that an intervention works. It did not establish whether postoperative pain was new persistent pain or preoperative pain carried into the postoperative period. RNA findings were preliminary and were not validated by quantitative PCR. The sample was primarily non-Hispanic White women, so it may not represent all adolescents with scoliosis. The authors state the results require cautious interpretation and replication.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include a conflicts-of-interest statement. The listed publication types include research support from NIH extramural and non-U.S. government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating preoperative pain or helplessness will prevent persistent pain after surgery. This was a small descriptive study, and the genetic finding was preliminary with only 15 viable samples.