The Effect of Chronic Neuropathic Pain on Greek Patients
Author(s)
Kritikou P1, Vadalouka A2
1Pain and Palliative Care Center, Athens Medical Center, Athens, A1, Greece, 2Pain and Palliative Care Center, Athens Medical Center, Athens, Greece
Background
Chronic pain, resulting from illness, injury, surgery, or cancer, can be categorized as a disease itself. Neuropathic pain, associated with the peripheral or central nervous system, results in great socioeconomic burden. The aim of the present study was to describe the patients affected by neuropathic pain, as registered in a private clinic in Athens, Greece.Methods
Patients from the Pain and Palliative registry of the Athens Medical Centre were eligible for analysis if they presented with neuropathic pain, as defined by a score≥4 at the ‘DN4’ screening tool. Data analyzed included: baseline characteristics, comorbidities, and past surgeries. Neuropathic pain was grouped under peripheral, central, cancer-related, and neuropathic pain syndromes. The duration of pain was recorded as years from symptom onset, and the level of pain was measured by a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), ranging from ‘0’ to ‘10’ (indicating ‘pain as bad as it could possibly be’). All analyses were descriptive.Results
In total, 168 patients were identified (2016-2019), with a mean age of 65.2 years. Of the 128 (76%) patients presenting with comorbidities, 23% had cancer, and 20% had hypertension. Of the 47 (28%) patients having undergone a surgery, 36% had a spine surgery, 20% another orthopedic surgery, and 11% an abdominal surgery. Overall, 97 (58%) patients experienced peripheral neuropathic pain (mainly backache [51%], and post-surgical pain [18%]), followed by 69 (41%) patients with cancer-related neuropathic pain (mostly disease-related [57%]), 11 (7%) patients with neuropathic pain syndromes (mostly fibromyalgia [55%]), and 5 (3%) patients with central neuropathic pain. The average pain duration was 3.4 (SD:4.9) years, while 137 (82%) patients reported a VAS score ≥5.Conclusions
Considering the paucity of such data in Greece, the present study provides valuable real-world evidence that could be used to estimate the impact of chronic neuropathic pain on the Greek healthcare system.Conference/Value in Health Info
2022-05, ISPOR 2022, Washington, DC, USA
Value in Health, Volume 25, Issue 6, S1 (June 2022)
Code
RWD53
Topic
Patient-Centered Research, Real World Data & Information Systems, Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Health & Insurance Records Systems, Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes, Registries
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas