The Value of Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire in Predicting Postoperative Pain in Living Kidney Donors: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the value of the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) for the prediction of postoperative pain and the relationship between pain sensitivity and postoperative pain in kidney donors undergoing living-related kidney transplantation.

Patients and Methods

A total of 148 kidney donors were selected and the preoperative pain sensitivity questionnaire was administered the day before surgery. Kidney donors were assigned to low PSQ group (PSQ < 6.5, n = 76) or high PSQ group (PSQ ≥ 6.5, n = 72). The primary endpoint was the number of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Other outcomes included: the incidence of acute pain, flurbiprofen axetil remediation rate, the incidence of chronic pain, neuropathic pain assessment scale (Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions, DN4), visual analog scale (VAS) at rest after surgery as well as the correlation between PSQ and QST (Quantitative Sensory Testing).

Results

The low PSQ group had a significantly lower number of PCA than high PSQ group (P < 0.0001). The incidence of acute pain was 75% in low PSQ group and 100% in high PSQ group (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, flurbiprofen axetil remediation rate was lower in low PSQ group than that in high PSQ group (P = 0.042). The incidence of chronic pain was significantly lower in low PSQ group than in high PSQ group (6.6% vs 61.1%, P < 0.001). Moreover, DN4 was significantly lower in low PSQ group than that in high PSQ group (P < 0.001). The PSQ-mean was significantly negatively correlated with QST in kidney donors. VAS at rest for the low PSQ group were lower than those of the high PSQ group.

Conclusion

The PSQ was found to be associated with the intensity or postoperative pain and might be used to screen patients prior to living-kidney transplantation.

Keywords:

• pain
• pain sensitivity
• pain sensitivity questionnaire
• kidney donor

Data Sharing Statement

The data presented in this study are available on reasonable request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank all the participants of the study, including patients and our colleagues.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (grant no. 2108085MH323).