Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38172899›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2024

Pain management in German hospices: a cross-sectional study.

Christian Volberg, Henning Schmidt-Semisch, Julian Maul, Jens Nadig, Martin Gschnell

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
4.5field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Pharmacological treatment of cancer pain and opioid induced nausea and vomiting: online survey and comparison with current guidelines.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Christian VolbergDepartment of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. christian.volberg@med.uni-marburg.de.
Henning Schmidt-SemischInstitute of Public Health and Nursing Research, Department of Health and Society, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
Julian MaulDepartment of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Jens NadigUniversity Children's Hospital Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Martin GschnellDepartment of Dermatology und Allergology, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Philipps University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg · DEPhilipps University of Marburg · DEUniversity of Bremen · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesPain management is a necessary component of palliative care as most patients suffer from pain during the final phase of life. Due to the complex causation of pain in the last phase of life, it is important to utilize methods other than pharmacotherapeutic options in order to achieve adequate pain control. As little is known about treatment of pain in German hospices, a nationwide survey was conducted. MATERIALS AND

methodsAll German hospices (259) were contacted by post in June 2020 and asked to participate in an anonymous cross-sectional survey.

resultsA total of 148 (57%) German hospices took part in the survey. A broad variety of medication is used in the hospice setting. Metamizole is the most commonly used non-opiod analgesic , hydromorphone the most commonly used opioid, and pregabalin is the most commonly prescribed co-analgesic drug. The pain medication is usually prescribed as an oral slow-release substance. Standardized treatment schemes are rare among the responding hospices. Most of the respondents also use complementary treatment options, such as aroma (oil) therapy or music therapy, in the treatment of pain. Palliative sedation is used by nearly all responding hospices if all other treatment options fail.

conclusionThis survey provides an overview of the treatment options for pain management in German hospices. A broad variety of pain medication is used. Compared to international literature, it is debatable whether such a large variety of different types of pain medication is necessary, or whether a reduction in the type of medication available and the use of standardized treatment schemes could benefit everyone involved.

Indexed as

Hospice CareHospicesAnalgesics, OpioidCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPainPain ManagementPalliative CareAnalgesics, OpioidHospicePain managementPain medicationPalliative carePalliative sedation

Identifiers

PMID38172899
PMCPMC10763107
OpenAlexW4390546906

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.