Pre-Trauma Pain Is the Strongest Predictor of Persistent Enhanced Pain Patterns after Severe Trauma: Results of a Single-Centre Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Traumatic injuries are a significant public health issue worldwide, with persistent enhanced pain being a common complication following severe trauma. Persistent and chronic pain can have a profound impact on patients’ quality of life, affecting physical, emotional, and social functioning. This study aimed to investigate the pain patterns of trauma patients before and after severe trauma, and identify the predictors of persisting pain after injury. Materials and Methods: A total of 596 patients of a level-one trauma centre with severe trauma were included in this study. The Trauma Outcome Profile Scale was used to assess pain severity before and after trauma, and a logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the most significant predictors of relevant pain after severe trauma. Results: The mean age of the included patients was 48.2 years, and 72% were males. The most frequent cause of injury was traffic accidents, and the mean Injury Severity Score was 17.6. Nearly half of the patients experienced reduced pain-related quality of life after trauma, with persisting pain predominantly occurring in the neck, spine, shoulder, pelvis, hip, knee, and feet. Even minor injuries led to increased pain scores. Preexisting pain before injury (OR: 5.43; CI: 2.60–11.34), older age (OR: 2.09, CI: 1.22–3.27), female gender (OR: 1.08, CI: 0.73–1.59), and high injury severity (OR: 1.80, CI: 1.20–2.69) were identified as significant predictors of enhanced pain. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of considering pre-existing pain, body area, and injury severity in assessing the risk of persistent pain in trauma patients.