The Prevalence of Neuropathic Pain in Terminally Ill Patients With Cancer Admitted to a Palliative Care Unit

Abstract

Objective:

The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NP) in patients with cancer receiving palliative care.

Methods:

In this prospective observational study, terminally ill patients with cancer having NP were identified by a pain management clinician using the diagnostic algorithm of NP from the International Association for the Study of Pain on the day of admission.

Results:

A total of 220 patients who were hospitalized in the palliative care unit were enrolled in this study. The median survival times were 21.5 days (range, 0-173 days), and 57.7% of patients were male. Among the 220 patients, 41 (18.6%; 95% confidence interval, 13.5%-23.8%) developed NP.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of NP in terminally ill patients with cancer in Japanese palliative care units was 18.6%.

Keywords

cancer pain neuropathic pain nociceptive pain palliative care unit prevalence terminally ill patient with cancer

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