Impact of pain on health-related quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate intensity, localization and cofactors of pain in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients in connection with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and disease activity.


METHODS
We reviewed and analyzed the responses of 334 patients to a specifically designed questionnaire based on the short inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (SIBDQ) and the German pain questionnaire. Pain intensity, HRQOL, Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) and colitis activity index (CAI) were correlated and verified on a visual analog scale (VAS).


RESULTS
87.9% of patients reported pain. Females and males reported comparable pain intensities and HRQOL. Surgery reduced pain in both genders (P = 0.023), whereas HRQOL only improved in females. Interestingly, patients on analgesics reported more pain (P = 0.003) and lower HRQOL (P = 0.039) than patients not on analgesics. A significant correlation was found in UC patients between pain intensity and HRQOL (P = 0.023) and CAI (P = 0.027), and in CD patients between HRQOL and CDAI (P = 0.0001), but not between pain intensity and CDAI (P = 0.35). No correlation was found between patients with low CDAI scores and pain intensity.


CONCLUSIONS
Most IBD patients suffer from pain and have decreased HRQOL. Our study reinforces the need for effective individualized pain therapy in IBD patients.
Schirbel
Anja
A
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Charité-Campus Virchow Clinic, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
Reichert
Anne
A
Roll
Stephanie
S
Baumgart
Daniel C
DC
Büning
Carsten
C
Wittig
Bianca
B
Wiedenmann
Bertram
B
Dignass
Axel
A
Sturm
Andreas
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000700:Analgesics