Pain Assessment and Management in Patients with Beta-Thalassemia Major: A Systematic Review.

What was studied

This review looked at how pain is assessed and managed in beta-thalassemia major. Pain has become a common complication in recent years. The search ran in English up to September 2, 2023. Independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts. It included cross-sectional and case-control studies, plus trials and systematic reviews. Study quality was checked with JBI checklists. In all, 17 studies were included.

What they found

12 studies assessed pain. 6 gave prevalence. 4 gave severity. 7 looked at related factors. 6 looked at effects on quality of life. 2 looked at location. 1 looked at causes. 5 studies looked at drug treatment for pain. No study looked at treatment without drugs.

What it means for patients

The authors say more research is needed. They want to learn how to assess and manage pain in these patients. That would give a baseline health status. It would help judge future gains in care and quality of life.

Why it is not certain yet

The review did not use other databases. The studies differed from each other. The authors say the bias assessment did not remove this issue. Only 5 studies looked at pain treatment. No study looked at treatment without drugs.

Source

Pain Assessment and Management in Patients with Beta-Thalassemia Major: A Systematic Review.

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