Pain levels of patients undergoing ultrasound guided biopsies and associated factors: a cross-sectional study

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 336 - 341, 17.01.2022

Mustafa Emre Akın

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1035199

Abstract

Aim: Patients may experience pain in minimally invasive biopsy procedures. It is important to evaluate the degree of pain and to know the factors that determine the level of pain felt by patients for adequate pain management. The aim of this study is to determine the pain levels felt by patients and socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with higher pain levels in breast and liver biopsy procedures.
Material and Method: In this cross-sectional observational study, patients who will undergo ultrasound-guided breast and liver biopsy procedures in the study center were invited to the study. The pain level was measured with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Pain measurements above 45mm were classified as moderate-to-high pain levels. The State-Trait Anxiety Scale was used to measure the anxiety levels of the patients and the radiologist. Sociodemographical (sex, age, education level, job, income) and clinical factors (biopsy site, duration, bosy mass index, anxiety level of the patient and the radiologist) that may be associated with the pain levels of the patients were analyzed.
Results: The sample consisted of 76 patients, 62 were female (81.6%). The procedures consisted of 43 breast biopsies (56.6%), 33 liver biopsies (43.4%). The median pain level measurement determined by the VAS is 20.0mm (IQR: 9.3- 38.5). Most of the sample (59.2%) stated that they felt mild pain. It was found that patients with higher anxiety levels and patients underwent liver biopsy had statistically significantly higher moderate-to-high pain levels than patients with lower anxiety (OR: 3.683 95% CI: 1.159- 11.705, p=0.220), patients who underwent breast biopsies (OR: 3.521, 95% CI: 1.153- 10.752, p=0.023). A positive correlation was found between the level of pain and the level of anxiety (r=0.267, p=0.020).
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that most ultrasound-guided biopsy procedures were performed with mild or no pain although higher patient anxiety levels were associated with higher pain levels during the procedures. Patients undergoing liver biopsy procedures had higher pain levels than breast biopsy procedures.

Keywords

ultrasonography, biopsy, pain, breast, liver

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