title: [Intrathecal opioids in chronic non-malignant pain: relief and life quality].
abstract: The use of opioids for treatment of non-malignant pain is controversial. The evaluation of pain relief and of the quality of life of 11 severely incapacitated chronic non-cancer pain patients treated with long term intrathecal infusion of opioids trought implantable pumps was performed. The mean duration of pain complaints was 5.3 years. The mean pain intensity was 8.6. In 7 patients, pain episodes lasted at least 6 hours daily. The mean duration of the therapy was 19.6 months. After the treatment the mean pain score became 3.9. In only 1 patient, the duration of pain episodes was still longer than 6 hours. Quality of life improved in 36.36% of the cases. The long term spinal opioids through implantable pumps for non-malignant pains results in pain relief but not necessarily improves the quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem Médico-Cirúrgica, Escola Enfermagem USP, São Paulo SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Goes
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Marcon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine