Can preoperative electrical nociceptive stimulation predict acute pain after groin herniotomy?

Abstract

UNLABELLED:

Preoperative identification of patients at risk for high-intensity postoperative pain may be used to predict patients at risk for development of a persistent pain state and allocate patients to more intensive specific pain therapy. Preoperative pain threshold to electrocutaneus stimulation has recently been shown to correlate to acute postoperative pain after cesarean section, but the findings have not been confirmed in larger studies or other procedures. Preoperative electrical pain detection threshold and pain tolerance were assessed in patients undergoing a primary unilateral groin hernia repair. The correlation between the pain data for electrical stimulation was compared with the postoperative pain during the first week in 165 patients, whereof 3 were excluded. Preoperative electrical pain detection threshold and electrical pain tolerance threshold did not correlate to postoperative pain (rho = -0.13, P = .09, and rho = -1.2, P = .4, respectively.

PERSPECTIVE:

Although preoperative electrical nociceptive stimulation may predict patients at risk of high-intensity acute pain after other surgical procedures, this was not the case in groin hernia repair patients receiving concomitant treatment with acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

• Authors: Eske Kvanner Aasvang, Jeanette Birch Hansen, Henrik Kehlet
• Journal: The journal of pain (J Pain) Vol. 9 Issue 10 Pg. 940-4 (Oct 2008) ISSN: 1528-8447 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 18650130 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Electric Stimulation (instrumentation, methods)
• Groin (surgery)
• Hernia, Femoral (surgery)
• Hernia, Inguinal (surgery)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pain Measurement (methods)
• Pain Threshold
• Pain, Postoperative (diagnosis, etiology, physiopathology)
• Postoperative Period
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Statistics as Topic
• Time Factors
• Young Adult