Intimate partner aggression perpetration in primary care chronic pain patients

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of partner aggression perpetration in 597 primary care chronic pain patients. Approximately 30% of participants reported perpetrating low-level aggression, 12% reported injuring their partner, and 5% reported engaging in sexual coercion. Women reported more low-level aggression perpetration than men, and men reported more engagement in sexual coercion than women. Substance use disorders (SUD) were associated with all outcomes, and both aggression victimization and lifetime ratings of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were associated with low-level aggression and injuries. In multivariate analyses, gender, aggression victimization, PTSD, and SUD evidenced associations with one or more outcomes. Findings indicate a need for aggression screening in this population and highlight avenues for intervention.     

Functional disability among chronic pain patients receiving long-term opioid treatment

This study of 2,163 adult chronic, non-cancer-pain, long-term opioid therapy patients examines the relationship of depression to functional disability by measuring average pain interference, activity limitation days, and employment status. Those with more depression symptoms compared to those with fewer were more likely to have worse disability on all 3 measures (average pain interference score >5, OR = 5.36, p < .0001; activity limitation days ≥ 30, OR = 4.05, p < .0001; unemployed due to health reasons, OR = 4.06, p < .0001). Depression might play a crucial role in the lives of these patients; identifying and treating depression symptoms in chronic pain patients should be a priority.     

Item validity of the physical demands from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles for functional capacity evaluation of clients with chronic back pain

This study assessed the item validity of 15 of the physical demands from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), as evaluated in a new approach to functional capacity evaluation (FCE) for clients with chronic back pain, the Gibson Approach to FCE (GAPP FCE). Fifty-two occupational therapists were sent the specifications of the items in the GAPP FCE procedures and were asked to rate the items in terms of item-objective congruence, relevance and difficulty. A response rate of 59.2% was obtained. The majority of the therapists agreed that most of the items were congruent with the objectives based on the definition of the physical demands from the DOT. The items evaluating Balancing and Pushing and Pulling had the lowest item-objective congruence. The evaluation of Balancing and the Lifting, Carrying and Pushing and Pulling of loads greater than light-medium weight (10-16 kg) were not considered significantly relevant. Concerns were raised about the difficulty and safety of the evaluation of Lifting, Carrying and Pushing and Pulling with clients with chronic back pain, particularly if the therapist evaluates the manual handling of medium to heavy loads. These results may have implications for other FCEs, particularly those which are based on the DOT, or when assessing clients with chronic back pain.     

Improving functional outcomes in college and university students with schizophrenia in the Western world

Retrospective research from patients with schizophrenia suggests that remission becomes increasingly less likely the longer psychosis goes untreated. Yet symptoms of schizophrenia are insidious and disease evolution varies between patients, requiring an ongoing diagnostic process. One way of justifying early treatment is by focusing on functionality rather than symptomatology. Most patients are diagnosed with schizophrenia between the ages of 17 and 25—when many young adults are undergraduates or pursuing post-graduate education. The extent to which schools partner with mental health services has implications for the short-term success of students' recovery and their future employability. Translating study findings on schizophrenia to the college setting remains an important area of investigation.     

The sense-of-coherence and the capability of performing daily occupations in persons with chronic pain

OBJECTIVES: It may be helpful for occupational therapists who promote enabling occupations among persons with chronic pain, to understand the relationship between the persons feelings of meaningfulness, comprehensibility and manageability in life and their capability to perform daily occupations. AIM: The aim of this study was to describe and investigate how these concepts of person and occupational performance of 27 daily occupations in terms of "effort", "inconvenience", "avoidance", "give up", "frequency" and "satisfaction" were related to each other. DESIGN: A prospective correlative study was conducted. METHOD: A consecutive series of eighty-four patients with chronic pain completed a structured interview and responded to the self-assessment instruments Sense-of-Coherence Scale (SOC-13) and Capability of Performing Daily Occupations (CPDO). RESULTS: Weak but significant correlation (p < 0.05) were found between the SOC-13 sub-scale "manageability" and the specific occupations "physical exercise / training" (r = - 0.24), "climb stairs" (r = - 0.27) "social activity" (r= - 0.25) and "wash the laundry" (r = - 0.30), as well as between the SOC-13 sub-scale "meaningfulness" and the CPDO occupations "grocery shopping" (r = -0.22), "performing meals" (r = - 0.24), and "wash the laundry" (r = - 0.31) and the CPDO question "frequency of performing occupations" r = -0.22). The participants' mean value (mean = 58) of SOC-13 was below the other populations represented in a literature review. The mean values for CPDO (3.4-4.3) (optimal score is zero) showed that the participants perceived themselves having activity limitations concerning performance of daily occupations, and the performance area of work productive activities were experienced as more disabling. The degree to which the participants perceived themselves having a strong sense of coherence or being disabled by pain varied greatly both for the results of SOC-13 ( range 32-90 points) and CPDO (range 1.1-7.8 points). CONCLUSION: The expected significant relationship between a person's sense of coherence and the performance of daily occupations was partly verified with weak significant correlations. In clinical practice the assessment instruments are suggested to be of value in rehabilitation clinics for occupational therapists who work with people with chronic pain.     

Long term results and functional outcomes following cardiac surgery in octogenarians

Objective. Cardiac surgery for patients >80 years has seen a dramatic increase in the last decade. The aim was to assess the long term survival and quality of life in this patient population.

Method. Patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 1995 and 2007 were identified and case notes reviewed. Follow-up was undertaken by personal interview with the patient or the nearest kin to complete a pre-planned questionnaire.

Results. Sixty six (M:F; 45:21) octogenarians had Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) only (55%), Aortic valve replacement (AVR) only (12%), Mitral valve replacement (MVR) only (3%), Valve and CABG (25%) and complex procedures (5%). Fifty-eight percent were elective procedures. Operative mortality was 8% (n = 5). Multivariate analysis identified complex procedures, prolonged bypass time and re-do/emergency surgery as predictors of death (p < 0.05). Median Intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 206 h (range 43–1176 h), with >70% leaving ICU in 72 h. Late mortality involved five patients (8%) who died at 10 yr; 7 yr; 3 yr; 1 yr; and 8 months; and 2 yr and 7 months, respectively. Survival by Kaplan–Meir was 8.8 yr (Standard Error (SE) = 0.66, Confidence interval (CI) 7.6–10.1), median survival was 10 yr and mean Barthel's index 17.7 (min 0, max 20).

Conclusions. Cardiac surgery can be accomplished in octogenarians with good long-term survival and quality of life. However, complex procedures, prolonged bypass and re-do/emergency surgery contribute significantly to mortality.     

Work-related factors contributing to chronic disability in low back pain

Low back pain is a costly and incapacitating musculoskeletal disorder. Prospective studies documenting the capacity of work-related factors to predict chronicity are few in number, the methodology used is very diversified, and the results obtained diverge. The aim of the present study is to investigate the capacity of work-related objective (non-psychosocial) and psychosocial factors to predict chronic disability related to low back pain. A longitudinal prospective study with two measurement times was carried out. The sample (N = 258) consisted of workers with subacute low back pain who were on sick leave and receiving compensation from the CSST (Quebec Workers' Compensation Board). Of all the work-related variables measured, perceived stress and fears and beliefs about work were associated with return to work status at the six-month follow-up. The results obtained show the importance of considering fears and beliefs about work when identifying people in the subacute phase of low back pain who are at risk of developing chronic disability.     

Sexual abuse and sexual functioning in a chronic pelvic pain sample

Sexual abuse, particularly childhood sexual abuse, has been linked to chronic pelvic pain and to sexual dysfunction, though the sexual functioning of survivors of sexual abuse has not been studied in a chronic pain population. Sixty-three women with chronic pelvic pain completed measures of sexual function, sexual abuse, and pain. Using an index of the extent of sexual abuse experiences in childhood and adolescence/adulthood, higher scores were related to lower rates of sexual activity, less satisfaction with orgasm and feelings of closeness with sexual partners, and greater severity of and interference from pain. Findings point to the importance of controlling for relationship status in analyses of long-term effects of sexual abuse and of assessing chronic pelvic pain patients for histories of sexual abuse using measures that address the extent or severity of abuse.     

Sexual functioning in women with chronic pelvic pain: the impact of depression, support, and abuse

Many studies have documented associations between sexual functioning, depression, experiences of childhood sexual abuse, relationship support, and chronic pelvic pain, but none have addressed the interrelationships among all of these variables in a unified model. The aim of this preliminary study was to construct an integrative model predicting sexual functioning for women with chronic pelvic pain. Sixty-three women with chronic pelvic pain completed measures of sexual functioning for use as the criterion variable, and measures of the impact of chronic pain, depression, experiences of sexual abuse, and relationship support as predictors. The primary finding was that depression mediated the effects of child sexual abuse and partially mediated the effects of relationship support on sexual behavior and satisfaction with the sexual relationship. In addition to its indirect relationship through depression, relationship support also independently predicted sexual function. Thus, in this nonclinical sample, the effects of child sexual abuse on sexual function depended on the extent of depressive symptoms, while the influence of relationship support depended in part on depression.     

A criterion-referenced multidimensional job-related model prediction capability to perform occupations among persons with chronic pain

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective study was an exploration of the construct of the criterion-referenced multidimensional job-related model (CMVA) aimed for predicting patients' with chronic pain capability to perform occupations. METHODS: The study samples were 1) participants (n=84) who at present were not performing employed work (median sick-listing period 12 months) because of chronic pain and 2) participants (n = 104) who at present were performing employed work at least 20 hours of a workweek. The participants had experiences of 40 different occupations classified into five of the occupational categories of Jist's Enhanced Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Data were collected through ten assessment instruments and a structured interview, comprising 54 variables and 465 items. Data were analyzed using multiple regression with forward entering of variables. RESULTS: The CMVA model (Adjusted R^2 0.777, F (4, 183) = 164.067; p<0.001) was able to explain 78% of the variance. CMVA contained the aspects; "the work demands-variable, the person-variable of work life values, the environment-variable of social support and the two occupational performances-variables; self-perceived capability to perform work tasks/the simulated work tasks". CONCLUSIONS: The construct of CMVA was robust suggesting that among persons with chronic pain, the predictors focusing on their capability to perform occupations are of great importance.     

Transurethral resection of the prostate achieves favorable outcomes in stroke patients with symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia

Objectives: To evaluate the surgical outcomes of stroke patients with symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and compare the clinical outcomes between patients with stroke and those without stroke receiving this procedure.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed claims data collected during the period of 1997–2012 from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We enrolled 6625 patients who had persistent lower urinary tract symptoms and underwent TURP for BPH. They were categorized into a stroke (n?=?577) and nonstroke (n?=?6048) group. Patient characteristics, postoperative clinical outcomes, medication records, and medical expenses were compared.

Results: Compared with the stroke group patients, those in the nonstroke group were younger, had fewer comorbidities, and more favorable postoperative clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, TURP achieved favorable outcomes in stroke patients with symptomatic BPH. In the stroke group, the rate of urinary tract infection (UTI) decreased from 34.7% during 1 year preoperatively to 29.8% during 1 year postoperatively (p?=?.05). The rate of urinary retention (UR) also decreased from 55.5% during 1 year preoperatively to 22.5% during 1 year postoperatively (p?=?.05). TURP reduced the overall medical expenses of patients with stroke. Annual patient medical expense during 1 year preoperatively, 1 year postoperatively, 2 years postoperatively, and 3 years postoperatively was NT$659,000, NT$646,000, NT$560,000, and NT$599,000, respectively.

Conclusions: In patients with stroke, TURP reduces the risks of UTI and UR and annual total medical expense.     

The effects of a topical analgesic and placebo in treatment of chronic knee pain

Chronic knee pain is a prevalent health problem of old and middle age. The authors' objective was to determine whether a topical analgesic would reduce knee pain and improve the function of a group of 40- to 65-year-old people with chronic knee pain. The experimental design was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The dependent variables were knee pain, active range of motion, and isometric strength. Forty-six men and women volunteered, of whom 3 dropped out, leaving 23 in the treatment group and 20 in the placebo group. Knee pain was assessed with a visual analogue scale and the knee-pain scale for frequency and severity. Testing took place before treatment and after 21 and 35 days of treatment. The results indicated that although both groups experienced improved pain scores, there were no differences between groups over the treatment period for any of the dependent variables.     

Return to work with chronic low back pain: using an evidence-based approach along with the occupational therapy framework

This paper will attempt to apply the occupational therapy framework [1] along with an evidence-based approach and an occupation-based intervention with a population of workers with chronic low back pain (CLBP) to help them return to work and maintain their work status. This paper will focus primarily on those clients with CLBP who still have a link to their employment but who do not perceive themselves as being capable to go back to their job despite conflicting opinions from other stakeholders (primary health care professionals, employer or insurer). They are being evaluated in occupational therapy shortly before return to work and followed until their optimal functional capacities are reached. This means that either all functional goals related to the actual physical demands of their job have been reached or that further treatment does not result in functional improvement.