title: Pilot study of a survey to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for chronic neuropathic pain following breast cancer surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a preliminary determination of the prevalence rate of women who suffer from neuropathic pain post breast surgery (PPBS) and explore potential risk factors associated with its development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, quantitative, longitudinal survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast health clinic in western Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 17 women undergoing breast cancer surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Brief Pain Inventory was administered before surgery and 2 days, 10 days, and 3 months postsurgery. Demographic data also were collected preoperatively. Analysis included determining prevalence of PPBS; descriptive analyses on age, gender, and body mass index (BMI); presence of acute postoperative pain; type of surgery; and two-tailed t tests on age and BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The symptom experience of chronic PPBS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three percent of the sample developed PPBS. Younger age (50 years or younger), more invasive surgery, acute postoperative pain, and less analgesic use during the acute postoperative period were factors associated with the development of PPBS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional research is required to confirm the significance of these potential risk factors in the development of PPBS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses are ideally situated to identify early signs of PPBS. In addition, nurses play a key role in the education of patients and healthcare professionals and can facilitate increased awareness about the possibility of developing PPBS, enabling earlier and more effective treatment of PPBS.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. foziab@gmail.com
authors.forename: Fozia N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Bokhari
authors.forename: Diana E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McClement
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Daeninck
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors