Predictors of Pain and Discomfort Associated with CT Arthrography of the Shoulder

Abstract

Rationale and objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of pain associated with computed tomographic arthrography of the shoulder.

Materials and methods: Before shoulder arthrography, all participants were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Short Version Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF). The participants were nonrandomized into two groups: the anesthesia group, who underwent prior local infiltration anesthesia before shoulder arthrography, and the nonanesthesia group, who did not undergo prior local infiltration anesthesia. The pain levels at intraprocedure, at 1, 2, 6, and 12 hours, and at 1 and 2 days after injection were assessed by using a visual analog scale. Univariate and multivariate generalized linear model analyses were conducted.

Results: Sixty participants in the anesthesia group and 60 participants in the nonanesthesia group were included. The pain level at intraprocedure (3.37 ± 1.94 in the anesthesia group and 3.20 ± 1.34 in the nonanesthesia group) was the highest of the whole pain course. The psychological domain (P = .0013) of WHOQOL-BREF, gender (P = .042), body mass index (P = .0001), and the total number of reinsertion and redirection of needle (P< .0001) were independent predictors of arthrography-related pain.

Conclusions: The pain associated with shoulder computed tomographic arthrography depends on the psychological domain of WHOQOL-BREF, gender, body mass index, and the total number of reinsertion and redirection of needle.

Keywords: Arthrography; pain; shoulder; surveys and questionnaires; tomography; x-ray computed.