Lung Function and Pain After Lung Surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Observational study to examine the use of pulmonary function testing as a surrogate for pain scores in post thoracotomy patients
IRAS ID
96737
Contact name
Omar Al-Rawi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
Research summary
One of the common problems for most patients undergoing lung surgery is the management of pain. In addition to the discomfort that patient’s experience, pain can affect how the lungs work. This may result in serious and occasionally life-threatening complications, for example chest infections that may be followed by respiratory failure. The exact relationship between the severity of pain and risk of developing lung complications following surgery is not well defined. The more severe the pain the more effect it has on patient’s ability to breathe and cough. Poor ability to cough and performing breathing exercises results in accumulation of lung secretions and collapse of parts of the lungs leading to breathing complications. The magnitude of pain and its effect on breathing ability is frequently difficult to measure, because pain measurement is based on a subjective assessment. The effect of severity of pain on the ability to breathe is not well described. We wish to investigate whether the level of pain experienced by patients can be matched with the lung function tests performed after surgery. This will enable us to use lung function tests as a measurement tool for the effectiveness of pain-control when comparing different ways of relieving pain. All patients undergoing elective open lung surgery (thoracotomy) at the Liverpool Heart & Chest hospital are eligible for recruitment. Patients not having open lung surgery (e.g. key hole) will not be included. 200 patients will be recruited into the study, 100 patients receiving thoracic epidural analgesia and 100 patients receiving multimodal paravertebral based analgesia. The analgesic technique the patients receive will be independent of the study.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/NW/0299
Date of REC Opinion
30 May 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion