Pain Measurement and Pain Management in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU)

Official Title: “Pain Measurement and Pain Management in the ICU”

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a pain training program and systematic measurement of pain scores on actual pain levels and the use of analgesics in critically ill patients.

Systematic evaluation of pain, though still not common practice in all ICUs, is recommended in clinical practice guidelines for optimal pain management. Pain is a frequently experienced problem in patients in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU). In search of literature to support the need for introduction of a pain management system and to train the entire health staff in our department little information was found concerning the effects of pain training and pain management systems in the ICU. The small number of available studies may be explained by the difficulty of systematic pain measurement in ICU patients, mainly due to the inability to communicate effectively with these patients.

Intervention(s) in this Clinical Trial

• Other: A Pain training program and pain measurement
  • Comparing patients treated with and without analgesia and sedation protocol

Arms, Groups and Cohorts in this Clinical Trial

• : pain training program
  • ICU Patients treated with or without pain management protocol

Primary Measures

• Pain scores using the numerical rating scale, rated by the attending nurse and by the patient if possible.
  • Time Frame: 3 times a day
    Safety Issue?: No

Secondary Measures

• Dose of all pain medication (morphine, paracetamol) per patient
  • Time Frame: 24 hr
    Safety Issue?: No
• Length of stay in the ICU
  • Time Frame: ICU stay
    Safety Issue?: No
• Pneumonia
  • Time Frame: ICU stay
    Safety Issue?: No
• 30 day Mortality
  • Time Frame: within 30 days
    Safety Issue?: Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients admitted to the ICU of the St. Antonius hospital, >18 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who are suspected to be brain-dead

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 18 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: No

Lead Investigator: St. Antonius Hospital Other

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

Peter Bruins, MD, PhD Principal Investigator Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Management, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein  

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on February 12, 2012

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00773045

Study ID Number: PIJNICU2/Z06.11

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00773045

Health Authority: Netherlands: Medical Ethics Review Committee (METC)