Citation

Gopinath B, Jagnoor J, Kifley A, Nicholas M, Blyth F, Kenardy J, Craig A, Cameron ID. J. Pain 2019; 20(6): 676-684.

Affiliation

John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, Sydney Medical School, Kolling Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpain.2018.11.011

PMID

30529696

Abstract

There is paucity of prospective studies that have examined rates and prognostic indicators of pain severity following a road-traffic crash injury. This cohort study involved 1854 participants aged ≥17 years with a non-catastrophic injury. Primary analyses of pain severity involved 1604 individuals who reported any pain since the injury at baseline, of these, 1188 and 972 participants were re-examined at 6- and 12-month follow-up, respectively. Mean pain severity (primary study outcome) was assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS), and a range of possible pain predictors were assessed. Mean pain NRS score of 4.9 was observed at baseline, and mean NRS score was 2.1 at 12-month follow-up. At 6- and 12-month follow-up, 21% and 17.5% reported clinically significant pain (NRS score ≥5), respectively. After multivariable-adjustment, key predictors of pain severity ratings over the 12 months included the following which were measured at baseline: age; sex; education; claim-compensation; spine/back injury; being a bicyclist; physical wellbeing; pain-related catastrophizing; pain-related disability; and trauma-related and general psychological distress. Clinically significant pain was experienced by just over one in six participants 12 months post-injury. Several independent contributors to chronic pain identified in this study are modifiable, reinforcing their inclusion as targets in pain management programs. Perspective This cohort study involving participants who sustained a non-catastrophic injury in a road traffic crash established the predictors of pain severity over 12 months. Study findings reiterate and reinforce the importance of being cognizant of a wide spectrum of bio-psychosocial predictors both in the management and rehabilitation of injured persons.

Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Road traffic crash; non-catastrophic injury; numeric rating scale; pain; pain catastrophizing