Bone marrow aspiration is a key method for identifying hematologic malignancies, monitoring treatment, and gauging response. Unfortunately, patients fear it and find it uncomfortable, yet it is necessary repeatedly during the illness. In order to make bone marrow aspiration simpler and more pleasant for patients, researchers sought to measure how much pain and anxiety were present for a study.
During February 2022, they examined 54 patients hospitalized for bone marrow aspiration at the outpatient hospital section of the Department of Hematology at the Gustave Roussy Institute in Paris. Adults who had previously been diagnosed with hematologic malignancies and were receiving therapy or being monitored made up the patients. Before and after the surgery, each patient completed a questionnaire, and the doctor conducting the procedure also completed one. In addition, patients’ anxiety levels were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) during this time in their lives.
The Wong-Baker FACES® pain scale, which has numbers ranging from zero to 10, was used to measure pain and compare it to the patient’s expectations. On the other hand, the physician documented the analgesics employed and assessed the patient’s pain and anxiety on a scale of 1 to 10.
Indicating a baseline anxious condition in patients, the average HADS score was 7.85/21, while doctors’ assessments of anxiety were 4.7/10. In addition, only 2 individuals had pain above their expectations on a scale of 3 to 10 throughout the treatment.
Individuals who were having their bone marrow aspirated primarily struggled with anxiety, whereas analgesics effectively managed their actual pain. According to the findings, anxiolytics should be used before the treatment to put both patients and medical professionals at ease.
Reference: SOHO
