COVID 19 pandemic influence on Pain Clinic patients of “Laikon” General Hospital of Athens

Aim: Aim of study was to record the COVID 19 pandemic impact on pain scores and quality of life in patients with chronic non-malignant pain, during lockdown periods.

Material and Methods:119 patients, who have been taken care after “Laikon” General Hospital of Athens Pain Clinic, with non-malignant pain under control before COVID 19 pandemic outbreak, were studied. All of them were asked to complete questionnaires from the beginning of the first till the end of second lockdown, where the parameters recorded were pain score, ability to work, relationship with their family, friends, sexual life, psychological status, depression, optimism, and suicidal thoughts in a scale from 1 to 10 every trimester, and results were analysed and studied. All patients completed the same questionnaires according to the period before pandemic, as well. Need for extra analgesics’ prescription, or medications’ modification and supplementary analgesic medication, frequency of their appointments to pain clinic in comparison to the pre-pandemic era were also recorded. Statistical analysis of recorded parameters between the two lockdowns, their interval and pre-pandemic period followed questionnaires’ collection, using χ2 method.

Results: Most patients from “Laikon” General Hospital of Athens Pain clinic, demonstrated statistically significant worsening in recorded parameters, which was attenuated during second lockdown period (raise in recorded pain scores, raise in need for analgesics, need for supplementary antidepressants, and higher frequency of appointments to pain clinic), in comparison to the period before COVID 19 pandemic.

Conclusions: People lockdowns caused by COVID 19 pandemic had bad impact to quality of life and pain scores in patients with chronic non-malignant pain, with raise in pain clinic appointments’ frequency and modification plus supplementation of pharmaceutical treatment. Further studies, with higher number of patients are necessary to support these findings, hoping of course that no more lockdowns will be needed.