Sunyoung Park1, Se Hee Na2, Jooyoung Oh3, Jong Seok Lee2, Seung-Taek Oh4, Jae-Jin Kim3, Jin Young Park5. 1. Department of Psychiatry, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Anesthesiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 3. Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 4. Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: empathy@yuhs.ac.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Pain and anxiety are understudied despite their importance to the general medical condition. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of pain and anxiety and their relationship to the doses of opioids and anxiolytics administered in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: The subjects included 1349 conscious, critically ill patients admitted to an ICU. Psychiatrists evaluated the patients daily for pain and anxiety. Data regarding the doses of opioids and benzodiazepines administered were gathered. Linear mixed model was used for analysis. RESULTS: The pain and anxiety experienced by patients in the ICU were significantly correlated. Pain had significant main effects on the dose of opioids administered. No significant effects of anxiety on the daily dose of anxiolytics or opioids given were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Due to their closely linked relationship, pain and anxiety, can affect one another, and one can influence the other to appear more severe. In addition, anxiety can be underestimated in ICU patients. The present study suggests the need for precise evaluation and a comprehensive approach to the management of pain and anxiety. In addition, this study implies that management of anxiety may affect pain reduction, given the close correlation between the two.
PURPOSE:Pain and anxiety are understudied despite their importance to the general medical condition. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of pain and anxiety and their relationship to the doses of opioids and anxiolytics administered in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: The subjects included 1349 conscious, critically illpatients admitted to an ICU. Psychiatrists evaluated the patients daily for pain and anxiety. Data regarding the doses of opioids and benzodiazepines administered were gathered. Linear mixed model was used for analysis. RESULTS: The pain and anxiety experienced by patients in the ICU were significantly correlated. Pain had significant main effects on the dose of opioids administered. No significant effects of anxiety on the daily dose of anxiolytics or opioids given were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Due to their closely linked relationship, pain and anxiety, can affect one another, and one can influence the other to appear more severe. In addition, anxiety can be underestimated in ICU patients. The present study suggests the need for precise evaluation and a comprehensive approach to the management of pain and anxiety. In addition, this study implies that management of anxiety may affect pain reduction, given the close correlation between the two.