Abstract Background: Pain is usually common patients who undergo high-dose treatment in combination with HSCT. Pain is usually associated with side effects as for example mucositis. The purpose of this study was to examine patients’ experiences of pain in relation to stemcellstransplantation. The purpose was also to examine how patients experience that they have been treated by the personnel regarding their pain, and also if the pain relief correspond to the patients expectations. Method: The study is a descriptive, longitudinal study. Eight patients who underwent HSCT were interviewed. The study implemented in three parts, whereof two interviews and one questionnaire. The interview material was analyzed by means of content analysis. Results: The result shows that five of eight patients experienced pain during HSCT treatment. Three of these informants experienced pain in their mouth, their head and in their stomach. This is usually commonly side effects of the treatment. Back pain occurs in two of the patients and this pain hasn’t proceeded during the treatment. Three informants did not experience any pain at all during the time of nursing. The result even shows that the all of the informants had experienced a well refutation of the personnel in terms of their pain. All informants reported that it was important to be well pain relieved. Those informants who had pain during their treatment were very satisfied with the pain relief they have got.   Keywords: stem cell transplantation, oral pain, pain treatment, oral mucositis, satisfaction with care. / Sammanfattning Bakgrund och syfte: Smärta är vanligt förekommande bland patienter som genomgår högdosbehandling i kombination med HSCT. Smärta är vanligtvis förknippad med biverkningar som t ex mucosit. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka patienters upplevelse av smärta i samband med stamcellstransplantation. Syftet är även att undersöka hur patienterna upplever att de blir bemötta av personalen angående sin smärta, samt om smärtlindringen motsvarar patientens förväntningar. Metod: Studien är en deskriptiv, longitudinell studie. Åtta patienter som skulle genomgå stamcellstransplantation intervjuades. Studien genomfördes i tre delar, varav två intervjuer och ett frågeformulär. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med innehållsanalys. Resultat: Resultatet visar att fem av åtta patienter upplevde smärta i samband med HSCT. Tre av dessa informanter upplevde smärtor i munnen, huvudet och i magen. Ryggsmärta förekom hos två av informanterna och denna smärta hade inte uppstått i samband med behandlingen. Tre informanter upplevde ingen smärta alls under hela vårdtiden. Resultatet visar även att samtliga informanter upplevt ett bra bemötande av personalen vad gäller deras smärta. Alla informanter uppgav att det var viktigt att vara bra smärtlindrad. De informanter som hade smärta under behandlingen var mycket nöjda med den smärtlindring de fick.   Nyckelord: stamcellstransplantation, oral smärta, smärtbehandling, oral mucosit, tillfredsställelse med vård.

This dissertation introduces a new problem in the delivery of healthcare, which could result in lower cost and a higher quality of medical care as compared to the current healthcare practice. In particular, a framework is developed for sedation and cardiopulmonary management for patients in the intensive care unit. A method is introduced to automatically detect pain and agitation in nonverbal patients, specifically in sedated patients in the intensive care unit, using their facial expressions. Furthermore, deterministic as well as probabilistic expert systems are developed to suggest the appropriate drug dose based on patient sedation level. This framework can be used to automatically control the level of sedation in the intensive care unit patients via a closed-loop control system. Specifically, video and other physiological variables of a patient can be constantly monitored by a computer and used as a feedback signal in a closed-loop control architecture. In addition, the expert system selects the appropriate drug dose based on the patient's sedation level. In clinical intensive care unit practice sedative/analgesic agents are titrated to achieve a specific level of sedation. The level of sedation is currently based on clinical scoring systems. In general, the goal of the clinician is to find the drug dose that maintains the patient at a sedation score corresponding to a moderately sedated state. This is typically done empirically, administering a drug dose that usually is in the effective range for most patients, observing the patient's response, and then adjusting the dose accordingly. However, the response of patients to any drug dose is a reflection of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the drug and the specific patient. In this research, we use pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling to find an optimal drug dosing control policy to drive the patient to a desired sedation score.

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Bakgrund: Palliativ vård syftar bland annat till att lindra lidande och symtom som smärta och ångest. För att kunna bedöma, utvärdera samt lindra symtomen behövs smärtskattningsinstument användas. Att lindra dessa symtom främjar livskvaliteten hos patienter i en palliativ fas. Genom det Svenska palliativregistret finns möjlighet att sammanställa och utvärdera information som kan främja forskning och därmed bidra till ett minskat lidande. Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka förekomst av smärta och smärtlindring i livets slutskede samt se i vilken utsträckning validerade instrument används. Syftet är också att undersöka om det finns någon skillnad mellan smärta och olika bakgrundsvariabler. Metod: Denna studie är en deskriptiv studie av kvantitativ design och är utformad med hjälp av retrospektiv registerdata. Datan insamlades genom det Svenska palliativregistrets dödsfallsenkät. 1435 patienter inkluderades som hade vårdats på olika palliativa vårdformer inom Uppsala och Enköping.   Resultat: Resultatet visar att smärtskattningsinstrument används i en bristande utsträckning inom den palliativa vården, då endast 56 % utav de som hade smärta också smärtskattades. När det gäller smärtlindring så blev 69 % utav patienterna helt och 30 % delvis smärtlindrade. Vid analysen utav samband mellan smärtlindring och vissa dödsplatser så visade resultatet att det fanns en signifikant skillnad. Samma resultat framkom även gällande analysen utav samband mellan vissa grundsjukdomar och upplevelsen utav smärta. Upplevelsen utav smärta samtidigt som upplevd ångest visade sig ha ett samband. Slutsats: Detta område är relativt outforskat, vilket gör att mer forskning behövs. Resultatet från denna studie kan användas som ett underlag för framtida forskning. / Background: Palliative care is intended to alleviate suffering such as pain and anxiety. By using pain measurements instruments these symptoms can be assessed, evaluated and alleviated. The patients life quality is promoted by alleviating these symptoms. Through the Swedish Register of palliative care there is a possibility to compile and evaluate information that can promote research and thereby contribute to a reduced suffering. Aim: The aim is to investigate the presence of pain and pain treatment in end of life care and also to learn in which extent validated pain measurements instruments are used. The aim is also to investigate whether there is a difference between pain and different background variables. Method: This is a descriptive study of a quantitative design and is shaped with retrospective registry data. The data was collected through the Swedish register of palliative cares’ death questionnaire. 1435 patients were included who had been cared in different forms of palliative care in Uppsala and Enköping. Result: The result shows that pain measurement instruments are used in a lacking extent in palliative care, where 56 % of those who experienced pain were pain estimated. When it comes to pain estimation this study shows that 69 % of the patients were completely relieved of their pain and 30 % were partly relieved. The analysis of the connection between pain treatment and some death places showed that there is a significant difference. The same result also appeared in the analyze of the connection between some background diseases and the experience of pain. The experience of pain was shown to have a connection with the experience of anxiety. Conclusion: This area is relatively unexplored, which means more research is required. The results of this study could be used as a basis for future research.

The need for nurses to become culturally competent is well documented in transcultural nursing literature. The subjective multidimensional nature of pain makes it imperative for nurses to use assessment methods that are culturally congruent. This study set out to explore the differences and similarities in conceptualization, experience, expression and management of pain between nurses and clients in the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the study was to develop guidelines in the cultural pain assessment in the UAE context. The findings confirmed that nurses rely on biomedical approaches in assessment and relief of pain; clients were found to rely on the family for emotional support and on nurses for pharmacological interventions. Clients used sensory descriptors, and analogy when describing pain, nurses relied on the technical background and experience. Religious factors had a significant impact on clients' pain behavior. This study offers nurses new insights into cultural assessment of pain. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

The study sought to describe Mozambican women's experience of labour pain. The study sought to determine the manner in which labour pain is perceived and to determine the culturally acceptable behaviour of Mozambican women as they experience labour pain. The preferred pain relief measures and cultural practices and beliefs pertaining to labour pain by this cultural group were also studied. The major inferences drawn from this study are that during labour, Mozambican women mainly respond stoically to the experience of labour. They also exhibited different kinds of behaviour in response to labour pain, such as rubbing the painful site, tossing about in bed, and verbalisation. The implication of the study is that Swazi nurse-midwives should render culture congruent maternity care to the women during labour. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Pain is one of the first symptoms that alert you to the various diseases. It affects and reduces the quality of patient?s life and their physical, mental and emotional abilities. It depends on man how feels the pain, how succumbs to it or how much affects him. But the pain cannot be clearly quantified. The medical staffs often underestimate patient´s intensity, character and process of pain. As a result, the patients are more reserved in relation to the medical staffs. Unfortunately, there is an increase of dissatisfaction which is in conflict with the progress of their treatment. And there should be the nurses for contact with patients when they want it. Especially the nurses are the mediator between the patient and the doctor; thereby they perform the important roles in the health care centres. On the other hand, the patient care is very difficult. Therefore it was important to determine the quantity of nurse´s work in the pain management institutions, particularly the pain management clinics, an affect their psyche, an attitude to patients, their view of the pain management institutions, including information about the pain management clinics processing, the methods and the provided care. There were determined six aims: to find out the most common diagnosis and methods of pain treatment in the pain management institutions, as well as how nurses perceive the patients and care for their mental status in the pain management clinics, the daily routines which the nurses recommend to the patients and finally find out information about the pain management institutions in the Czech Republic. Based on the aims there were determined six research questions. Firstly, what is the most common diagnosis in the pain management clinic? Secondly, what are the most common methods for pain treatment? Thirdly, how are successful the methods of pain treatment by nurses? Fourth, how nurses perceive the patients of pain treatment clinics? Fifthly, how nurses care for patient´s mental status in the pain treatment clinic? Sixthly, what daily routine nurses recommend to the patients with pain treatment? The results showed that patients have often the chronic back pain in the pain management clinics in Pardubice region. In addition, there are the post-traumatic conditions, the pain associated with shingles, the post-operative pain, the joint pain and the pain associated with cancer.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Nursing In the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences At the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2013 / The syringe driver is a battery-operated device which accurately delivers a continuous subcutaneous infusion of a combination of medication to alleviate symptoms, such as pain, nausea and vomiting, noisy moist breathing and preterminal restlessness. The researcher who works in a palliative care unit in Cape Town noticed the ambivalence and negative attitudes from family members regarding the use of the syringe driver. This gave rise to distress, conflict and ambivalence in patients and between family members. This study aimed to gain insight into the understanding, perceptions and expectations of families of terminally ill patients commenced on a syringe driver in a palliative care unit. A descriptive, qualitative research method was employed using semi-structured interviews, diaries, observation and documentation as the data collection methods. Data was coded and arranged into themes. Thematic analysis and coding were used to analyse the data during this study. This study found that the lack of education and written information were the two major contributing factors towards negative attitudes causing ambivalence in family members whose relatives were on a syringe driver. This study also highlighted the need for quality improvement control when using the syringe driver in the palliative care unit. The need for continuous education and written information and support for the immediate and extendedfamily members was evident. KEY WORDS: Syringe driver, Symptom control, Family members, Terminally ill, Palliative care unit.

A dor em membros inferiores é muito comum em atletas e pode representar um aspecto limitante ao rendimento. De acordo com estudos epidemiológicos, entre 27% e 70% dos corredores apresentam algum tipo de lesão durante o período de um ano, que causa desconforto durante os treinos e gera desempenho abaixo do esperado em competições. Na busca da atenuação e/ou solução para a dor de atletas corredores, a acupuntura pode ser benéfica, já que esta técnica é conhecida pelos seus efeitos de analgesia aplicados em região de joelho. O objetivo deste estudo foi de analisar os parâmetros relacionados à dor de joelho correlacionando os parâmetros de força das musculaturas avaliadas em corredores submetidos ao tratamento de acupuntura. Foi realizado um estudo descritivo no período de janeiro a junho de 2015, com 34 corredores, com idade de 20 a 52 anos, de ambos os sexos, que apresentassem dor em região de joelho. Os voluntários preencheram o Questionário de Dor McGill e a Escala Visual Analógica e foram submetidos ao teste de força máxima com avaliação eletromiográfica dos músculos reto femoral, vasto lateral e vasto medial e avaliação de força do quadríceps. Receberam semanalmente cinco atendimentos seguindo o protocolo de acupuntura desenvolvido neste estudo. Após, foram novamente submetidos ao teste de força e preenchimento do questionário e da escala de dor. Todos os voluntários relataram sentir diminuição da dor de joelho após o tratamento, que foi avaliada por meio do Questionário de Dor McGill que obteve inicialmente mediana de 17,5 e após o tratamento, 6,5 (melhora de 62,9%). E por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA), que inicialmente obteve média de 6,0 e após o tratamento, média de 3,0 (melhora de 50,0%) e p<0,001 para ambos. A média de força do membro afetado foi de 20kgf e esta foi aumentada para 27kgf após o tratamento (incremento de 34% e p<0,001). Para o membro contralateral, a força média inicial era de 22kgf e após o tratamento foi de 27,90kgf (incremento de 25% e p<0,001). Para comprovar o ganho de força por meio da amplitude do sinal eletromiográfico, verificou-se aumento no número de recrutamento de unidades motoras para os três músculos avaliados em ambos os membros. O músculo reto femoral do membro afetado teve incremento de 43% (p<0,001), o músculo vasto medial de 25% (p<0,001) e vasto lateral de 16% (p=0,025). Para o membro contralateral, o músculo reto femoral teve incremento de 17% (p=0,023), o músculo vasto medial de 32% (p=0,029) e o músculo vasto lateral de 27% (p=0,002). Quanto à frequência mediana não houve diferença na velocidade de condução dos potenciais de ação, em ambos os membros. Conclui-se que o protocolo proposto se mostrou eficaz na diminuição da sintomatologia dolorosa em região de joelhos de atletas corredores, interferindo no ganho de força e no equilíbrio muscular. / Pain in the lower members is very common in athletes and may represent a limiting aspect to income. According to epidemiological studies, between 27% and 70% of the runners have some type of injury during the period of one year, which causes discomfort during practice and generates poor performance in competitions. In the pursuit of mitigation and / or solution to the pain of running athletes, acupuncture may be beneficial, as this technique is known for its analgesic effects applied on knee area. The objective of this study was to analyze parameters related to knee pain correlating the musculature strength parameters evaluated in corridors undergoing acupuncture treatment. It conducted a descriptive study from January to June 2015 with 34 runners, aged 20-52 years, of both sexes, who presented pain in the knee region. Volunteers completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire and the Visual Analogue Scale and were subjected to the maximum force test with electromyographic evaluation of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and vastus and quadriceps strength evaluation. They received five weekly attendances following the acupuncture protocol developed for this study. After, they were again subjected to strength testing and completing the questionnaire and the pain scale. All volunteers reported feeling decrease knee pain after treatment, which was assessed using the McGill Pain Questionnaire initially obtained median of 17.5 and after treatment, 6.5 (62.9% improvement). And through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which initially had an median of 6.0 and after the average treatment of 3.0 (an improvement of 50.0%) and p <0.001 for both. The affected limb mean strength was 20kgf and 27kgf this was increased to after treatment (34% increment and p <0.001). For the contralateral member, the initial average strength was 22kgf and after treatment was 28kgf (increase of 25% and p <0.001). To prove the strength gain through the amplitude of the electromyographic signal, there was an increase in the number of motor unit recruitment for the three muscles evaluated in both members. The affected member of the rectus femoris muscle had increased by 43% (p <0.001), vastusvmuscle of 25% (p <0.001) and vastus lateralis of 16% (p = 0.025). For the contralateral leg, the rectus femoris muscle was increased by 17% (p = 0.023), the vastus medialis of 32% (p = 0.029) and lateral vastus 27% (p = 0.002). The median frequency no difference in conduction velocity of action potentials in both members. It is concluded that the proposed protocol is effective in reducing painful symptoms in knees region runners athletes, interfering with the gain in strength and muscle balance.

A dor em membros inferiores é muito comum em atletas e pode representar um aspecto limitante ao rendimento. De acordo com estudos epidemiológicos, entre 27% e 70% dos corredores apresentam algum tipo de lesão durante o período de um ano, que causa desconforto durante os treinos e gera desempenho abaixo do esperado em competições. Na busca da atenuação e/ou solução para a dor de atletas corredores, a acupuntura pode ser benéfica, já que esta técnica é conhecida pelos seus efeitos de analgesia aplicados em região de joelho. O objetivo deste estudo foi de analisar os parâmetros relacionados à dor de joelho correlacionando os parâmetros de força das musculaturas avaliadas em corredores submetidos ao tratamento de acupuntura. Foi realizado um estudo descritivo no período de janeiro a junho de 2015, com 34 corredores, com idade de 20 a 52 anos, de ambos os sexos, que apresentassem dor em região de joelho. Os voluntários preencheram o Questionário de Dor McGill e a Escala Visual Analógica e foram submetidos ao teste de força máxima com avaliação eletromiográfica dos músculos reto femoral, vasto lateral e vasto medial e avaliação de força do quadríceps. Receberam semanalmente cinco atendimentos seguindo o protocolo de acupuntura desenvolvido neste estudo. Após, foram novamente submetidos ao teste de força e preenchimento do questionário e da escala de dor. Todos os voluntários relataram sentir diminuição da dor de joelho após o tratamento, que foi avaliada por meio do Questionário de Dor McGill que obteve inicialmente mediana de 17,5 e após o tratamento, 6,5 (melhora de 62,9%). E por meio da Escala Visual Analógica (EVA), que inicialmente obteve média de 6,0 e após o tratamento, média de 3,0 (melhora de 50,0%) e p<0,001 para ambos. A média de força do membro afetado foi de 20kgf e esta foi aumentada para 27kgf após o tratamento (incremento de 34% e p<0,001). Para o membro contralateral, a força média inicial era de 22kgf e após o tratamento foi de 27,90kgf (incremento de 25% e p<0,001). Para comprovar o ganho de força por meio da amplitude do sinal eletromiográfico, verificou-se aumento no número de recrutamento de unidades motoras para os três músculos avaliados em ambos os membros. O músculo reto femoral do membro afetado teve incremento de 43% (p<0,001), o músculo vasto medial de 25% (p<0,001) e vasto lateral de 16% (p=0,025). Para o membro contralateral, o músculo reto femoral teve incremento de 17% (p=0,023), o músculo vasto medial de 32% (p=0,029) e o músculo vasto lateral de 27% (p=0,002). Quanto à frequência mediana não houve diferença na velocidade de condução dos potenciais de ação, em ambos os membros. Conclui-se que o protocolo proposto se mostrou eficaz na diminuição da sintomatologia dolorosa em região de joelhos de atletas corredores, interferindo no ganho de força e no equilíbrio muscular. / Pain in the lower members is very common in athletes and may represent a limiting aspect to income. According to epidemiological studies, between 27% and 70% of the runners have some type of injury during the period of one year, which causes discomfort during practice and generates poor performance in competitions. In the pursuit of mitigation and / or solution to the pain of running athletes, acupuncture may be beneficial, as this technique is known for its analgesic effects applied on knee area. The objective of this study was to analyze parameters related to knee pain correlating the musculature strength parameters evaluated in corridors undergoing acupuncture treatment. It conducted a descriptive study from January to June 2015 with 34 runners, aged 20-52 years, of both sexes, who presented pain in the knee region. Volunteers completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire and the Visual Analogue Scale and were subjected to the maximum force test with electromyographic evaluation of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis and vastus and quadriceps strength evaluation. They received five weekly attendances following the acupuncture protocol developed for this study. After, they were again subjected to strength testing and completing the questionnaire and the pain scale. All volunteers reported feeling decrease knee pain after treatment, which was assessed using the McGill Pain Questionnaire initially obtained median of 17.5 and after treatment, 6.5 (62.9% improvement). And through the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which initially had an median of 6.0 and after the average treatment of 3.0 (an improvement of 50.0%) and p <0.001 for both. The affected limb mean strength was 20kgf and 27kgf this was increased to after treatment (34% increment and p <0.001). For the contralateral member, the initial average strength was 22kgf and after treatment was 28kgf (increase of 25% and p <0.001). To prove the strength gain through the amplitude of the electromyographic signal, there was an increase in the number of motor unit recruitment for the three muscles evaluated in both members. The affected member of the rectus femoris muscle had increased by 43% (p <0.001), vastusvmuscle of 25% (p <0.001) and vastus lateralis of 16% (p = 0.025). For the contralateral leg, the rectus femoris muscle was increased by 17% (p = 0.023), the vastus medialis of 32% (p = 0.029) and lateral vastus 27% (p = 0.002). The median frequency no difference in conduction velocity of action potentials in both members. It is concluded that the proposed protocol is effective in reducing painful symptoms in knees region runners athletes, interfering with the gain in strength and muscle balance.