title: Long-term follow-up by means of a questionnaire of 109 patients with long-lasting orofacial pain.
abstract: The aims were to follow-up, analyse and compare the pain status after 4-9 years with that at the baseline examination of 109 consecutive patients referred to the Pain Group at the Faculty of Odontology in Malmö, Sweden during the period 1988-1993 due to long-lasting orofacial pain. A further aim was to identify predictive factors of significance for pain alteration. 85 (78%) women with a median age of 51 years and 24 (22%) men with a median age of 60 years were included in the study. A survey of the pain status at the follow-up was conducted by means of a mailed questionnaire. The questionnaire covered the following aspects: pain alteration, pain intensity, pain location, medication and education. After one reminder, the non-responding patients were called for a telephone interview. A response level of 85% was obtained. Significant improvements were noted by the patients in the answers of the questionnaire in mainly three areas; the patients answered individually that pain relief had occurred, pain intensity rated on the VAS was lower at follow-up compared to the baseline examination and a decrease in drug use was reported. The responses indicated pain relief for 75% of the patients. However, only 27% of the patients experienced total disappearance of pain. Medication at baseline with opioids, muscle relaxants with central effect, antidepressants, neuroleptics, hypnotics or sedatives was found to be a predictive factor for persistent pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Faculty of Odontology, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden. eva.wolf@od.mah.se
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nilner
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petersson
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petersson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003729:Dental Care; D004522:Educational Status; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011379:Prognosis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central