Date of Award

1-1-2022

Degree Type

Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review

Degree Name

Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant

Department

Physician Assistant Studies

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this EBM review is to determine if cryoanalgesia is an effective addition to pain management protocols for patients post-thoracotomy.

Study Design: This EBM review examines three randomized controlled trials.

Data Sources: Data was gathered from the three studies found on PubMed and EBSCOhost. Each study was published in a peer reviewed journal, in English between 2010 and 2021.

Outcome Measured: The outcome measured was pain reported by patients using a visual analag scale (VAS). Two studies utilized a 0-10 scale and the third a 0-100mm scale.

Results: In the study by Sepsas et al. it was found that the difference in pain scores between groups was 2.1 on day 1 and 1.1 on day 7, with scores being higher in the control group both days. Both comparisons had a p-value < 0.0001. In the study led by Momenzadeh et al., it was found that the control group had pain scores approximately 1.2 points higher on VAS on both days 1 and 7. P-value was <0.0001 for both data sets. The third study, by Mustola et al., was found to be insignificant with the difference between groups being 0.1 on day and 3.6 on day 7. The scale used in this study was 0-100mm and the p-values for day 1 and 7 were 0.732 and 0.328 respectively.

Conclusions: This EBM reviewed showed that while some studies found significant improvement in pain, evidence is conflicting. As such further, more broad investigation is warranted.

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