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Pain During COVID‐19: A Comprehensive Review and Guide for the Interventionalist
Author(s) -
Murphy Micheal T.,
Latif Usman
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pain practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1533-2500
pISSN - 1530-7085
DOI - 10.1111/papr.12976
Subject(s) - cinahl , medicine , pandemic , health care , medline , cochrane library , alternative medicine , covid-19 , medical emergency , family medicine , disease , nursing , psychological intervention , pathology , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , law
Background Chronic pain, the leading cause of disability in the world, imposes limitations on activities of daily living and diminishes quality of life leading to unnecessary patient suffering. The personal and socioeconomic costs of chronic pain cannot be overstated. Physicians are at the crux of the pandemic and must attempt to limit the spread of the virus while maintaining their professional responsibility to their patients and staff members. Objective The aim of this review is to analyze the existing literature to develop consensus recommendations for treating pain during the current COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Relevant literature was located via computer‐generated citations between the months of March and May of 2020. Online computer searches of multiple databases including Google Scholar, CINAHL, PubMed, and Cochrane Review were conducted in conjunction with a thorough review of local, state, national, and international governmental and organizational websites to locate research on the area of interest. Results The guidelines in this review are meant to offer a framework to pain practitioners and organizations for providing highly effective, ethical, and safe care to patients while maintaining their commitment to mitigating the spread of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Specific areas addressed include general and interventional‐specific treatment and mitigation recommendations. Conclusions We believe that the recommendations in this review, if used in conjunction with evolving recommendations of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and federal, state, and local governing bodies, provides a path to not only mitigate the spread of the pandemic but also limit the adverse impact of pain and suffering in chronic pain patients.