Pain and self-care behaviours in adult patients with end-stage liver disease: A longitudinal description

Lissi Hansen, Michael C. Leo, Michael F. Chang, Betsy L. Zucker, Anna Sasaki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

This prospective descriptive study investi-gated pain characteristics in 20 outpatients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) who were approaching the end of life, described variability in pain between and within patients, and described the pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain management strategies used. The instruments we utilized were the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and the self-care behaviour (SCB) log for pain. Data were collected once a month over a six-month period. BPI severity of, and interference from pain mean scores ranged from 5.52 to 6.03 and 5.36 to 6.64, respectively. The top three pain-relieving behav-lours reported by patients were "taking pain medication," "taking a nap," and "asking for help." Pain medication intake differed between patients who were pursuing a liver transplant and those who were not eligible for one. If we are to effectively improve care for ESLD patients, it is essential that we understand the ways in which these patients experience pain and the pain management strategies they employ.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)32-40
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of palliative care
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2014

Keywords

  • Palliatve care
  • Simple prognostic scores
  • Survival time

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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