OBJECTIVE: This scoping review explores strategies for alleviating pain while administering ILCSIs for hypertrophic scarring and keloid management. ILCSI is a second-line treatment for HTSs and a first-line treatment for keloids.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: This scoping review included studies where HTSs and keloids were treated with ILCSI and considered diverse demographics and injection methods. This review excludes other methods of corticosteroid drug delivery where injection is not involved and where the pain assessed is unrelated to injection or infiltration of the scar.
SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: This review systematically searched critical databases from inception to December 2023, including ScienceDirect, PubMed and Web of Science, and handpicked articles traced from available review papers. Only English-language publications focused on pain management during ILCSIs for HTSs and keloids were included. All levels of scientific evidence were considered. An in-depth evaluation of the injection technique, type of analgesia or anaesthesia administered, effectiveness of pain management and overall treatment outcomes was conducted.
CHARTING METHODS: Citations were compiled in an Excel spreadsheet, with three authors screening the titles and abstracts based on inclusion criteria. Decisions were finalised collaboratively, exclusions were documented and results were presented using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses flow diagram.
RESULTS: 16 prospective studies, 2 retrospective studies, 1 case study and 15 journal articles were included. These studies examined ILCSI for hypertrophic scarring and keloid treatment. No differences in pain intensity between HTSs and keloids were reported. 11 studies systematically explored pain reduction methods such as topical analgesia, cryoanaesthesia, mixing triamcinolone acetonide with local analgesics, slow infiltration techniques, vibration analgesia and needle-free injectors.
CONCLUSION: Pain can significantly impact patient compliance and treatment outcomes. This review offers a foundational reference for healthcare providers and researchers in the field of scar management, providing insights into current practices and highlighting areas for future research and development.
OBJECTIVE: This 12-week pilot study examines the efficacy of applying low frequency sound wave stimulation (between 16-160 Hz) through both hands and feet on relieving pain and improving functional ability in patients with chronic back pain.
METHODS: Twenty-three participants with chronic shoulder (eleven participants) or low back pain (twelve participants) underwent a 12-week vibration therapy program of three sessions per week. A low frequency sound wave device comprising four piezoelectric vibration-type tactile tranducers enclosed in separate 5-cm diameter circular plates, which generate sinusoidal vibratory stimuli at a frequency of 16-160 Hz, was used in this study. Primary outcome measure was pain sensation measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (P-VAS). The secondary outcome measures were pain-related disability measured using the pain disability index (PDI) and quality of life measured using the SF-12.
RESULTS: At week 12, significant reductions in pain sensation and pain-related disability were observed, with mean reductions of 3.5 points in P-VAS and 13.5 points in the PDI scores. Sixty-five percent of the participants had a reduction of at least 3 points on the P-VAS score, while 52% participants showed a decrease of at least 10 points in the PDI score. Significant improvement was observed in the SF-12 physical composite score but not the mental composite score.
CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary findings showed that passive application of low frequency sound wave stimulation therapy through both hands and feet was effective in alleviating pain and improving functional ability in patients with chronic back pain.
Purpose: To determine the level of adherence to opioid analgesics in patients with cancer pain and to identify factors that may influence the adherence.
Patient and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from March to June 2018 at two tertiary care hospitals in Malaysia. Study instruments consisted of a set of validated questionnaires; the Medication Compliance Questionnaire, Brief Pain Inventory and Pain Opioid Analgesic Beliefs─Cancer scale.
Results: A total of 134 patients participated in this study. The patients' adherence scores ranged from 52-100%. Factors with a moderate, statistically significant negative correlation with adherence were negative effect beliefs (rs= -0.53, p<0.001), pain endurance beliefs (rs = -0.49, p<0.001) and the use of aqueous morphine (rs = -0.26, p=0.002). A multiple linear regression model on these predictors resulted in a final model which accounted for 47.0% of the total variance in adherence (R2 = 0.47, F (7, 126) = 15.75, p<0.001). After controlling for other variables, negative effect beliefs were the strongest contributor to the model (β = -0.39, p<0.001) and uniquely explained 12.3% of the total variance.
Conclusion: The overall adherence to opioid analgesics among Malaysian patients with cancer pain was good. Negative effects beliefs regarding cancer pain and opioids strongly predicted adherence.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of new formulation of lidocaine topical anaesthetic using palm oil base, HAMIN® and to determine how fast this new formulation produces adequate numbness compared to the currently used EMLA cream, in the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) set-up.
METHOD: The skin permeation test was conducted by using Franz type diffusion cell and pain assessment was carried out in healthy subject by using Verbal Rating Score (VRS) and Visual Analogue Score (VAS) evaluation.
RESULT: Result of permeation test demonstrated that the cumulative amount of lidocaine released from HAMIN® cream was increased with time and slightly higher than EMLA cream. The clinical study showed that HAMIN® single lidocaine cream can produces numbness through venepuncture procedure and comparable with EMLA cream which is a combination therapy for local anaesthetic (lidocaine and prilocaine).
CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that HAMIN® Lidocaine cream is suitable for cream preparation especially for topical application and it can be regarded as an achievement in palm oil and medical industries.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This double-blinded RCT enrolled 110 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM from November 2020 to May 2021. Any patients with previous abdominal surgery, chronic kidney disease, or liver disease were excluded. The patients were randomised into two groups: (i) the IPLA group which received ropivacaine intraperitoneal instillation at the dissected left crus and (ii) the placebo group (sterile water instillation). Perioperative analgesia was standardised. The first 24-h postoperative pain was assessed using a VAS. The respiratory effort was assessed using incentive spirometry simultaneously.
RESULTS: Total of 110 patients were recruited. The VAS score was lower with an enhanced recovery of respiratory effort in the local anaesthetic group compared to the placebo group (P < 0.05) within the first 24 h postoperatively. In addition, the placebo group required additional postoperative analgesia (P < 0.05). No side effects were reported with the use of intraperitoneal instillation of ropivacaine.
CONCLUSION: The use of intraperitoneal instillation of ropivacaine in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is recommended as it is safe, effectively reduces acute postoperative pain, and enhances the recovery of respiratory effort postoperatively.
METHODS: The Promoting Independence in Seniors with Arthritis (PISA) study is a longitudinal observational study of individuals with and without knee pain and knee OA recruited from the orthopaedics clinic of the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre and the local hospital catchment. Patients were diagnosed with OA based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, the presence of knee pain, and a history of physician-diagnosed knee OA. Psychosocial parameters were measured using validated measures for social participation, independence, and ability to perform activities of daily living, and life satisfaction.
RESULTS: Of the 230 included participants, mean age was 66.9 years (standard deviation: 7.2) and 166 (72.2%) were women. Kappa agreement between ACR criteria and knee pain was 0.525 and for ACR and physician-diagnosed OA it was 0.325. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that weight, anxiety, and handgrip strength (HGS) were predictive of ACR OA. Knee pain was only predicted by HGS but not weight and anxiety. Physician-diagnosed OA was predicted by weight and HGS but not anxiety. HGS was predictive of ACR OA, knee pain, and physician-diagnosed OA.
CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the characteristics of patients with OA are different, physically and psychosocially, depending on the criteria used. Poor agreement was observed between radiological diagnosis and the other diagnostic criteria. Our findings have important implications for the interpretation and comparison of published studies using different OA criteria.
AIMS: To evaluate clinical and psychological differences between adults with IBS seen in secondary care in the United Kingdom (UK) and Malaysia.
METHODS: Age- and sex-matched patients with IBS from a single centre in the UK (Leeds) and two centres in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu), who fulfilled Rome III criteria, were recruited prospectively. Demographic characteristics and gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms were compared between both groups.
RESULTS: A total of 266 (133 UK and 133 Malaysian) age- and sex-matched patients with Rome III IBS were recruited (mean age: 45.1 years Malaysia, vs. 46.5 years UK; 57.9% female). UK patients were more likely to consume alcohol than Malaysian patients (54.1% vs. 10.5%, p pain, abdominal bloating, meal-related symptoms (p
DESIGN: Randomized Control Trial. Adult Muslim patients who had undergone a laparoscopic cholecystectomy through the Day Surgery Unit were randomly selected using computer-generated sequence into two groups, interventional and control groups.
METHODS: The control group listened to the natural environment and received Fentanyl for pain relief, and the interventional group listened to the Qur'an recitation and received Fentanyl for pain relief. A total of 112 (79.4%) participants completed the study. The level of the pain and anxiety was measured using the Wong-Baker Faces pain scale and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, respectively. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS version 9.3 (Statistical Analysis System, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, North Carolina).
FINDINGS: This study compared the effects of Qur'an audio therapy on patients' anxiety levels, opioid consumption, pain, and LOS in the PACU. The findings showed that by listening to chosen verses from the Qur'an in the recovery period post-anaesthesia, anxiety scores were significantly reduced (P = .0001), opiate use was reduced (P = .0081), and overall PACU LOS was also reduced (P = .0083).
CONCLUSIONS: Adding the use of listening to the Qur'an as a complementary therapy is a simple and cost-effective measure to reduce the need for narcotics in the PACU, and reduce the overall PACU length of stay. This intervention benefits the patient, the PACU, and reduces health care organization costs.