Showing papers on "Visual analogue scale published in 1979"

Accuracy of subjective measurements made with or without previous scores: an important source of error in serial measurement of subjective states.

Abstract: Pain severity was assessed on visual analogue scale in 4 groups of patients receiving long-term therapy. A comparison was made between pain measurements made with and without access to initial scores. The differences between these measurements increased with the duration of treatment. Patients tended to overestimate their pain severity when previous scores were not available. It is suggested that initial scores should be made available when serial measurements of pain are made in long-term experiments.

Role of pain in placebo analgesia.

Abstract: The hypothesis that perceived pain intensity can influence placebo analgesia was tested. One hundred and seven subjects rated their pain from from 0 to 10 on a visual analog scale after a standard wisdom tooth extraction. The expected course of such postoperative pain in the absence of therapy or placebo is a steady increase; this was confirmed by blind administration of the placebo. When placebos were given intravenously in view of the patients, some (placebo nonresponders) reported that their pain increased, whereas others (placebo responders) reported that their pain either decreased or remained the same over the next 60 min. A placebo response was more likely to occur if the pain rating 5 min prior to placebo administration (initial pain) was greater than 2.6. Furthermore, placebo responders with initial pain above this 2.6 level reported significantly greater mean analgesia than those with lower initial pain. Indeed, responders with initial pain less than 2.6 reported no change in pain during the 60 min after administration of a placebo. When their initial pain level was greater than 2.6, they reported a steady decline in pain over this period. However, above the 2.6 level there was no obvious relationship between the magnitude of the placebo analgesia and the initial pain.

Pain in peripheral arteriography—a comparison of a low osmolality contrast medium with a conventional compound

Abstract: The pain reaction to a new low osmolality contrast agent, sodium-methyl-glucamine-ioxaglate, in comparison to the conventional compound methylglucamine-ioxitalamate was tested and statistically evaluated in 12 patients using the visual analogue scale method. The intensity of pain experienced was significantly smaller following intra-arterial injection of the compound of low osmolality as compared to the conventional contrast agent.

Clinical assessment of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract: A new experimental design was developed to study the value of clinical parameters of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ten patients with classical rheumatoid arthritis were examined by five senior doctors in a department of medical rheumatology. In spite of an attempt to make the clinical examination as uniform as possible the inter-observer variation among the doctors was greater than the variation among the patients, for the following parameters: joint pain at rest, joint tenderness and joint swelling. An acceptable inter-observer variation in relation to patient variation was found for 1) a combined registration of joint pain at rest or on movement, 2) duration of morning stiffness, 3) grip strength, 4) subjective well-being as indicated on a visual analogue scale, 5) fingertip-palm distance, and 6) maximum flexion-extension in elbows, wrists and knees. The variation from morning to afternoon and from day to day was negligible. It is concluded that registration of elaborated artic...

The Mechanism of Placebo Analgesia

Abstract: The effect of naloxone on dental postoperative pain was studied to examine the hypothesis that endorphins mediate placebo analgesia. All patients had extraction of impacted mandibular third molars with diazepam, N2O, and local block with mepivacaine. 3 h and 4 h after surgery naloxone or a placebo was given under randomised, double-blind conditions. Pain was evaluated on a visual analogue scale. Patients given naloxone reported significantly greater pain than those given placebo. Patients given placebo as their first drug was either placebo responders, whose pain was reduced or unchanged, or nonresponders whose pain increased. Naloxone given as a second drug produced no additional increase in pain levels in nonresponders but did increase pain levels of placebo responders. Nonresponders had a final mean pain rating identical to that of responders who received naloxone as their second drug. Thus the enhancement of reported pain produced by naloxone can be entirely accounted for by its effect on placebo responders. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that endorphin release mediates placebo analgesia for dental postoperative pain.

The comparative antidepressant value of lofepramine and amitriptyline. Results of a controlled trial with comments on the scales used.

Abstract: A double-blind controlled trial comparing the antidepressant activity of amitriptyline with lofepramine is reported. Forty-six patients entered the 4-week trial. Analysis of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores at the beginning and end of the trial showed no significant difference between the therapeutic efficacy of lofepramine and amitriptyline. However, patients with endogenous depression responded significantly more rapidly to lofepramine as measured by Visual Analogue Scales and showed a significantly greater degree of clinical improvement after 4 weeks' treatment, as measured by Global Assessment. Adverse effects were similar in the two treatment groups. The use of rating scales in trials of depressive illnesses is discussed. The Visual Analogue Scale for depression was found to be a simple, useful and valid measure.

Assessment of Suicidal Intent by a Visual Analogue Scale

Abstract: The use of a visual analogue scale to assess feelings about living and dying at the time of suicidal acts is described. It appears to have face validity, and the results obtained correlate significantly with those of a validated suicidal intent scale. Of note, is the significant correlation between the visual analogue score and that part of the suicidal intent scale which rates the objective circumstances of the attempt, suggesting that suicidal subjects are aware of their mixed feelings of living and dying, and that their actions approximate these feelings. These findings, coupled with its ease of administration and scoring, suggest that it has a place in the screening of suicidal patients

Pentazocine suppositories versus pethidine injections in 500 patients with post-operative pain.

Abstract: Pentazocine (Fortral) suppositories (50 mg) were compared with pethidine (100 mg) by injection in 500 patients after general and gynaecological surgery. Pain was assessed by patients using a pain thermometer, (a modification of a visual analogue scale), and by observers using an adjectival scale. There was a good relationship between these methods. Good pain relief was obtained with both drugs and there was little difference between the treatments in moderate pain. Pethidine was faster and more effective, particularly in severe pain. There were fewer side-effects with pentazocine suppositories. They are a useful alternative to injections, especially in moderate pain.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: treatment and assessment of therapeutic efficacy.

Abstract: The acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a disease of many different symptoms. Although the metabolism of ethanol is well-known, no specific treatment of the withdrawal syndrome has been developed. When assessing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs in this syndrome one of the main symptoms to be followed is sleep disturbances, because inability to sleep often maintains the drinking cycle. Besides different target symptoms, the visual analogue scale and the ability to work are useful parameters. The assessment of the efficacy relies mainly on subjective parameters and comparisons with placebo are needed.

Accuracy ofsubjective measurements madewith or without previous scores: animportant sourceoferror inserial measurement ofsubjective states

Abstract: SUMmARY Painseverity was assessed on a visual analogue scale in4groups ofpatients receiving long-term therapy. A comparison was madebetween painmeasurementsmadewithandwithout accesstoinitial scores.Thedifferences between these measurements increased withtheduration of treatment. Patients tended tooverestimate their painseverity whenprevious scoreswere notavailable. Itissuggested thatinitial scoresshould bemadeavailable whenserial measurements ofpain aremadeinlong-term experiments.