Study of over 10,000 patients suggests men experience more pain after major surgery

While women feel more pain after minor procedures

2014-06-03

(Press-News.org) New research presented at this year's Euroanaesthesia meeting in Stockholm suggests that gender plays a part in pain experienced after surgery, with men feeling more pain following major surgery while women feel more pain after minor procedures. The study is by Dr Andreas Sandner-Kiesling, Dept of Anaesthesiology & Intensive Care, Medical University of Graz, Austria, and colleagues.

"The influence of gender and sexes is a key issue of today's research in medicine. However, current literature in the field of perioperative medicine rarely focuses on this question," says Dr Sandner-Kiesling. "Our aim was to analyse a large population to find differences in postoperative pain perception in females and males."

Patients were interviewed 24 hours following their operation based on a purpose-designed questionnaire. This incorporated details about surgery and anaesthesia and questions about the patient's wellbeing and postoperative pain, The study took more than four years and 10,200 patients were interviewed (42% male, 58% female). The patients included in the study were from the University Hospitals of the Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany.

When analysing data for influences of sexes on postoperative pain overall, the researchers found no significant differences. However, after arranging data according to the different kind of surgeries, sexes showed significantly different results. Men were 27% more likely to experience a greater number of moderate pain episodes after major vascular and orthopaedic surgery, while women were 34% more likely to report higher pain ratings after minor procedures, such diagnostic procedures and biopsies.

The authors conclude: "The gender differences on pain perception are still heavily disputed, both in experimental and clinical fields. Our data do not definitely clarify this issue; however, based on our findings it can be presumed that the type (and severity) of surgery may play a pivotal role, as females express higher pain scores after minor procedures, whereas males are more affected after major surgery."

INFORMATION: END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Increased mucins pinned to worsening cystic fibrosis symptoms

2014-06-03

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – UNC School of Medicine researchers have provided the first quantitative evidence that mucins – the protein framework of mucus – are significantly increased in cystic fibrosis patients and play a major role in failing lung function. The research, published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, shows that a three-fold increase of mucins dramatically increases the water-draining power of the mucus layer. This hinders mucus clearance in the CF lung, resulting in infection, inflammation, and ultimately lung failure. "Our finding suggests that ...

Nutrition experts: Debate over value of vitamin, mineral supplements is far from over

2014-06-03

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and three other institutions have taken issue with recent claims that "the case is closed" on whether or not a multivitamin/mineral supplement should be taken by most people to help obtain needed micronutrients. In a correspondence to be published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers reasoned that this type of dietary supplement helps fill nutritional gaps, improves general health, might help prevent chronic disease, will cause no harm and is easily worth the ...

Young women fare worse than young men after heart attack

2014-06-02

Women age 55 or younger may fare worse than their male counterparts after having a heart attack, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions 2014. Researchers studied records and interviews of 3,501 people (67 percent women) who had heart attacks in the United States and Spain in 2008-12. One year after their heart attack, women were more likely than men to have: Poorer physical functioning Poorer mental functioning Lower quality of life More chest pain Worse physical limitations "Previous ...

Hispanics cut medication adherence gap after Medicare Part D launch

2014-06-02

Hispanics have reduced the gap with whites in taking prescribed heart medicines since the 2006 launch of Medicare's prescription drug benefit called Medicare Part D, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2014 Scientific Sessions. Researchers reviewed prescription drug data from the national Medical Expenditure Panel for African-American and Hispanic Medicare recipients to find trends in medication adherence in the four years after the launch of Medicare Part D (2001-10). After Part D, adherence rates ...

Simple change to Medicare Part D would yield $5 billion in savings

2014-06-02

PITTSBURGH, June 2, 2014 – The federal government could save over $5 billion in the first year by changing the way the government assigns Part D plans for Medicare beneficiaries eligible for low-income subsidies, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The results of the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will be published in the June issue of the journal Health Affairs. Medicare Part D provides assistance to beneficiaries below 150 ...

Choosing one drug over another to treat blindness could save Medicare billions

2014-06-02

ANN ARBOR—If all eye doctors prescribed the less expensive of two drugs to treat two common eye diseases of older adults, taxpayer-funded Medicare plans could save $18 billion over a 10-year period, say researchers at the University of Michigan. Further, patients with the wet form of macular degeneration or who have diabetic macular edema could keep $4.6 billion in co-pays in their wallets, and the rest of the U.S. health care system could save $29 billion in private insurance payments and other costs, according to the team led by David Hutton, assistant professor of ...

Study examines political contributions made by physicians

2014-06-02

Bottom Line: The percentage of physicians making campaign contributions in federal elections increased to 9.4 percent in 2012 from 2.6 percent in 1991, and during that time physician contributors shifted away from Republicans toward Democrats, especially in specialties dominated by women or those that are traditionally lower paying such as pediatrics. Author: Adam Bonica, Ph.D., of Stanford University, California, and colleagues. Background: Few analyses have been done regarding the political behavior of American physicians, especially as the numbers of women physicians ...

One in 8 American children estimated to experience maltreatment by age 18

2014-06-02

Bottom Line: One in 8 American children (12.5 percent) is estimated to experience a confirmed case of maltreatment before age 18, and the cumulative prevalence is highest for black children (1 in 5) and Native American children (1 in 7). Author: Christopher Wildeman, Ph.D., of Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and colleagues. Background: Childhood maltreatment (the neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children) is associated with negative physical, mental and social outcomes. A disparity exists between estimates of the prevalence based on retrospective ...

No sign of 'obesity paradox' in obese patients with stroke

2014-06-02

Bottom Line: Researchers found no evidence of an "obesity paradox" (some studies have suggested overweight or obese patients have lower mortality rates than underweight or normal weight patients) in patients with stroke. Author: Christian Dehlendorff, M.S., Ph.D., of the Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues. Background: Obesity often is associated with increased health related complications and death. But some studies have suggested an obesity paradox that may cause some to question striving for a normal weight. How the Study ...

Expanded health coverage may improve cancer outcomes in young adults, study suggests

2014-06-02

BOSTON -- Young adults who lack health care insurance are more likely to be diagnosed in advanced stages of cancer and have a higher risk of death, according to a study from Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) and Harvard Medical School. Consequently, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, may improve cancer outcomes in young adults as it expands coverage to many who have been uninsured, said first author Ayal Aizer, MD, MHS, of the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program and senior author Paul Nguyen, MD, of Radiation Oncology at DF/BWCC in a report ...

DARPA-ABC program supports Wyss Institute-led collaboration toward deeper understanding of anesthesia and safe drugs enabling anesthesia without the need for extensive monitoring

Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative launches innovative brain health navigator program for intuitive coordination between patients and providers

Large-scale TMIST breast cancer screening trial achieves enrollment goal, paving the way for data that provides a precision approach to screeninge

Study published in NEJM Catalyst finds patients cared for by MedStar Health’s Safe Babies Safe Moms program have better outcomes in pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum

Study of over 10,000 patients suggests men experience more pain after major surgery

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: