Intrathecal Drug Delivery for Intractable Pain: Identified Patient Satisfaction Survey Study Comparing Intrathecal...

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Neurology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Spinal targeted drug delivery (TDD) offers pain relief, reduces opioid use, and is cost-effective for chronic pain.
• Intrathecal (IT) infusion admixtures are commonly used in TDD for intractable pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine treatment variables associated with patient satisfaction in spinal TDD.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of higher IT medication doses.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 560 patients with active TDD (Medtronic pain pumps) from November 2021 to February 2023.
• Assessed patient satisfaction with IT medication dosages, pain relief, side effects, functioning, and healthcare utilization.
• Analyzed relationships between satisfaction and IT medication dose, side effects, and duration of therapy.

Main Results:

• 63.8% reported good-to-excellent pain relief; 80.7% were highly satisfied with TDD.
• 78.5% discontinued or reduced systemic opioid use.
• Higher IT medication doses were significantly associated with increased patient satisfaction (p=0.02) without more bothersome side effects (p=0.05).

Conclusions:

• Higher IT doses in TDD are safe and effective for complex chronic pain, enhancing quality of life.
• TDD with higher IT doses is a viable alternative to long-term systemic opioids for selected patients.
• Patient satisfaction is linked to higher IT doses, fewer side effects, and longer TDD therapy duration.