Background 

Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is a clinical feature that associates physical and psychological sequalae in ICU survivors.  Within the spectrum of PICS, previous studies did not evaluate pain as a primary variable, in 2021 Ojeda et al. reported an incidence of pain in up to 38% of cases.

 

Primary aim:  explore pain intensity (vNRS), using the Brief Pain Inventory - Short Form (BPI-SF) questionnaire

Secondary objetives: description of pain characteristics in order to explore neuropathic pain using ID- PAIN scale. 

 

Methods 

After recovery of several illness of SARSCOV2 infection, participants were informed about study and recruited. They answer first questionaries and 3, 6 and 12 months follow up was conducted by telematic consultation. Descriptive analyses (median, percentile) were obtained from the sample.

 

Results

Cohort of 30 patients who overcome the critical stage due to COVID pneumonia during January to June 2021. A sample represented by a majority of men (83% male vs 17% female), with an average age of 65 years, and mean stay in ICU of 30 days was obtained. Pain was increased from a 36,7% from base line up to 53,3% of patients at 3 months, decreasing this incidence to 40% at one year. Average value of all sample vNRS remains on 5 average during follow-up (graphic 1). Those patients who report pain with neuropathic characteristics (score above 3 in ID PAIN) were up to 20% during follow up. (table 1)

 

Conclusions

Exploring pain as a primary variable in ICU survivors shown that patients who survive a severe COVID 19 infection can develop pain, and up to 20% of these patients may develop pain with neuropathic characteristics. 

 

 

References

Galvéz R, Pardo A, Cerón JM, Villasante F, Aranguren JL et.al. Adaptación al castellano y validación psicométrica del cuestionario ID-Pain© para la detección de dolor neuropático Med Clinic Vol. 131. Núm. 15. páginas 572-578 (Noviembre 2008)

 

Ojeda A, Calvo A, Cuñat T, et. Al. Characteristics and influence on quality of life of new-onset pain in critical COVID-19 survivors. Eur J Pain. 2022 Mar;26(3):680-694. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1897. Epub 2021 Dec 15. PMID: 34866276; PMCID: PMC9015597.

 

Fernandes  A,Jaeger  MS, Chudow. Post-intensive care syndrome: A review of preventive strategies and follow-up care. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 2019 76:119-122

 

Relevance for Patient Care

Exploring pain as a symptom in patients who have survived a severe phase of illness can help us determine its incidence and assess the need to approximate resources for adequate care.

 

 

Ethical Permissions

Aproved by Comite de Etica d’investigació amb medicaments, december 2020. IIBSP-COV-2020-63 Dolor persistente y afectación en la calidad de vida a los 3, 6 y 12 meses en pacientes COVID-19 que han requerido de cuidados críticos.