Risk Factors for Pressure Injuries in Adult Patients: A Narrative Synthesis

Pressure injuries remain a serious health complication for patients and nursing staff. Evidence from the past decade has not been analysed through narrative synthesis yet. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Complete, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and other reviews/sources were screened. Risk of bias was evaluated using a slightly modified QUIPS tool. Risk factor domains were used to assign (non)statistically independent risk factors. Hence, 67 studies with 679,660 patients were included. In low to moderate risk of bias studies, non-blanchable erythema reliably predicted pressure injury stage 2. Factors influencing mechanical boundary conditions, e.g., higher interface pressure or BMI < 18.5, as well as factors affecting interindividual susceptibility (male sex, older age, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, diabetes, hypotension, low physical activity, existing pressure injuries) and treatment-related aspects, such as length of stay in intensive care units, were identified as possible risk factors for pressure injury development. Health care professionals’ evidence-based knowledge of above-mentioned risk factors is vital to ensure optimal prevention and/or treatment. Openly accessible risk factors, e.g., sex, age, BMI, pre-existing diabetes, and non-blanchable erythema, can serve as yellow flags for pressure injury development. Close communication concerning further risk factors, e.g., anemia, hypoalbuminemia, or low physical activity, may optimize prevention and/or treatment. Further high-quality evidence is warranted.

Practical guidelines for the treatment of chronic nonspecific low back pain and comorbid chronic insomnia: clinical observation

A clinical case of a patient with chronic nonspecific low back pain and comorbid chronic insomnia is described, and a modern approach to the management of this patient category is shown. So-called yellow flags - factors that contribute to the central sensitization of pain - lead to chronicity of LBP. In the presented clinical case we identified the most common "yellow flags”: insomnia, pain catastrophizing, restrictive ”pain” behavior, anxiety. In practice, they often ignore the aforementioned factors, determine only the presence of back pain and prescribe analgesic therapy, which does not allow for an effective result.Insomnia is prevalent among patients with LBP, occurring in 47-64% of cases. With the COVID-19 pandemic among the population, the incidence of insomnia, anxiety and depression has increased. To date, the identification and treatment of these disorders is particularly relevant in the management of patients with chronic nonspecific LBP.The patient was treated, which included non-drug and drug methods and complied with Russian and foreign clinical guidelines on the therapy of chronic nonspecific LBP and on the therapy of chronic insomnia. Non-drug treatment consisted of educational talks, recommendations on daily activity and sleep hygiene, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, relaxation, and therapeutic gymnastics. The listed methods were aimed at reducing pain catastrophizing, physical and social activation of the patient. The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug dexketoprofen was used as pharmacotherapy according to a step-by-step regimen. After 5 days of therapy pain relief was observed, after 3 months of therapy back pain regressed, sleep normalized, mood improved. This therapeutic approach showed its effectiveness and safety in the treatment of chronic nonspecific LBP and comorbid chronic insomnia.

Avoiding anchoring bias in unexplained chronic pain: an unexpected diagnosis of synovial osteochondromatosis

Unconscious biases may influence clinical decision making, leading to diagnostic error. Anchoring bias occurs when a physician relies too heavily on the initial data received. We present a 57-year-old man with a 3-year history of unexplained right thigh pain who was referred to a physiatry clinic for suggestions on managing presumed non-organic pain. The patient had previously been assessed by numerous specialists and had undergone several imaging investigations, with no identifiable cause for his pain. Physical examination was challenging and there were several ‘yellow flags’ on history. A thorough reconsideration of the possible diagnoses led to the discovery of hip synovial osteochondromatosis as the cause for his symptoms. Over-reliance on the referral information may have led to this diagnosis being missed. In patients with unexplained pain, it is important to be aware of anchoring bias in order to avoid missing rare diagnoses.

Back pain

Low back pain is a major cause of disability worldwide. Data on the prevalence of low back pain are presented. Information on the pathogenesis of pain is given. The temporal characteristics of pain are presented. Risk factors and triggers for episodes of low back pain are reviewed. The most common causes of specific and non-specific low back pain are described. Non-specific low back pain is more common, as no specific pathological-anatomical cause can be identified. Specific pain includes nociceptive and neuropathic pain. In order to make a correct diagnosis in a patient with low back pain, a thorough medical history must be taken, which usually provides important information in identifying the cause of the pain syndrome. The warning signs (‘red flags’) for specific causes of low back pain requiring urgent treatment and specific psychosocial factors contributing to chronic pain (‘yellow flags’) are considered separately. ‘Red flags’ include conditions such as suspected traumatic injury, tumour, infection or radiculopathy and cauda equina syndrome. «Yellow flags» include individual cognitive, emotional and behavioural factors that contribute to the development of chronic pain. The main aim of pharmacotherapy for low back pain is to enable patients to continue or resume their normal daily activities. The main recommended approaches in the treatment of acute and chronic low back pain are presented. The main non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the oral drug treatment of non-specific low back pain are described, with evidence-based doses. Special attention is given to the role of diclofenac in the treatment of pain. The authors present the results of systematic reviews that analyse the available data on the efficacy and safety of topical transdermal dosage forms that contain NSAIDs.

Modern patient management with low back pain

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common pathologies of the musculoskeletal system worldwide. The article presents data on the main causes of LBP (mechanical, non-mechanical and visceral), the importance of differential diagnosis concerning possible causal factors, taking into account the presence of so-called red and yellow flags. The article also notes the fact of increased pain in the lower back and neck revealed in a number of studies in the conditions of COVID-19 and lists the main possible causes of this phenomenon. The expediency of an integrated approach to patient management with acute and chronic LBP, given the principles of evidence-based medicine, is substantiated. Drug therapy means are characterized, and data are presented indicating complex drugs’ efficacy, including those based on NSAIDs with a proven analgesic effect (diclofenac) and B vitamins. The importance of maintaining the physical activity of patients with both acute and chronic LBP and the ability of some non-pharmacological pain therapy methods (manual therapy, Kinesio taping, etc.) to reduce pain and fear of movement are noted. KEYWORDS: low back pain, red flags, differential diagnosis, treatment, NSAIDs, B vitamins. FOR CITATION: Pizova N.V. Modern patient management with low back pain. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2021;5(10):659–667 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2021-5-10-659-667.

Patients with shoulder pain referred to specialist care; treatment, predictors of pain and disability, emotional distress, main symptoms and sick-leave: a cohort study with a six-months follow-up

ObjectivesRecommendations for referral of patients with shoulder pain from primary to specialist care are mainly clinical. Several patients are referred without meeting these criteria for referral, whereas some are referred for a second opinion although surgery is not recommended. The aims of this study were to describe a shoulder pain cohort in specialist healthcare according to demographic data, clinical, and psychological factors; evaluate changes in pain and disability, distress and main symptoms from baseline to six-month follow-up; and to assess predictors of pain and disability, changes in the main symptoms and sick-leave at six-months. Results were compared to previous randomised trials conducted at the same clinic in patients with subacromial shoulder pain.MethodsThis prospective study included 167 patients from an outpatient clinic in specialist healthcare with shoulder pain for more than 6 weeks. Clinical (pain duration, intensity, pain sites), sociodemographic (age, gender, educational level, work status) and psychological variables (emotional distress (HSCL-10), fear of pain, screening of “yellow flags”, health-related quality of life) were collected. Shoulder pain and disability (SPADI-score) were assessed and the patients were asked about their outcome expectation and to predict their status of their shoulder problem the next month. They underwent a clinical interview, a clinical assessment of shoulder function and orthopaedic tests for diagnostic purposes. After six months they received a questionnaire with main variables.ResultsOf the 167 patients (55% women), 50% had symptoms for more than 12 months and 37 (22%) were on sick-leave. Characteristics were in general comparable to patients previously included in clinical trials at the same department. The SPADI-score was 46 (23) points. Mean emotional distress was within the normal range (1.7 (SD 0.6)). More than 80% had received treatment before, mainly physiotherapy in addition to the GPs treatment. One hundred and thirty-seven patients (82%) were re-referred to physiotherapy, 74 (44%) in the outpatient clinic specialist healthcare, and 63 (38%) in primary care. One hundred and eighteen (71%) answered the follow-up questionnaire. Mean change in SPADI-score was 10.5 points (95% CI (6.5–14.5)), and 29% of the patients improved more than the smallest detectable difference (SDD). The percentage sick-listed was 19.5%, and mean change in main symptoms (−9 to +9) was 3.4 (SD 3.9). The subgroup of patients receiving physiotherapy in outpatient specialist care did not show any significant change in the main variables. The prediction models suggested that a lower level of education, more fear of pain and a high baseline SPADI-score, predicted a higher SPADI-score at follow-up. A high baseline HSCL-10 score was the only significant predictor for a high HSCL-10 score. At follow-up, less pain at rest predicted more change in main symptoms and more yellow flags (a higher score on the Örebro screening test) predicted sick-leave.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of a cohort study, patients with persistent shoulder pain referred to an outpatient specialist clinic had similar baseline characteristics but shorter treatment duration, inferior clinical results and predictors somewhat different compared with previous clinical trials conducted at the same clinic. The study raises some questions about the effectiveness of the routines in daily clinical practice, the selection of patients, the treatment duration and content.

Personalized, interdisciplinary approach to the treatment of chronic low back pain: clinical observation

Nonspecific (musculoskeletal) pain is the most common cause of low back pain (LBP). Chronic nonspecific LBP is a particular problem, as it significantly reduces the quality of life and functional activity of the patient. The diagnosis of chronic non-specific LBP is made after exclusion of a specific cause of pain, discogenic radiculopathy and lumbar stenosis. Unfortunately, patients with chronic non-specific LBP are often misdiagnosed, pain chronization factors (“yellow flags”) are ignored and ineffective treatment is prescribed. Clinical observation of a patient with chronic non-specific LBP, who was initially wrongly diagnosed with spinal osteochondrosis and the treatment was ineffective, is presented. A personalized, multidisciplinary approach to treatment allowed the patient to cope with back pain and to return to his previous daily activities. The patient’s treatment plan included non-drug methods of treatment (educational conversation, physical activity, mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural therapy) and rational pharmacotherapy (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, NSAID). Clinical observation showed the efficacy and good tolerability of NSAID - dexketoprofen (in the form of Dexalgin and Dexalgin 25), which was administered in a stepwise scheme for 5 days. According to modern recommendations, NSAIDs are first-line drugs in chronic non-specific LBP. The results of clinical studies on efficacy and safety in back pain of such NSAIDs as dexketoprofen and nimesulide are presented. In case of prolonged exacerbation the possibility of dexketoprofen prescription with subsequent transition to nimesulide is discussed.