| Study |
Intervention |
Outcome |
Scale |
Result |
Comments |
| Shrestha 2001 |
Verbal information prior to mammogram. |
Expectation and experience of discomfort. |
5‐point scale; not validated. |
Group that was given verbal information more likely to have lower actual discomfort than expectation compared to the control group (statistically significant). |
Significant difference for first time attendees, not subsequent attendees (analysis performed separately for the two groups). |
| Alimoglum 2004 |
Written information prior to mammogram. |
Pain. |
VAS; validated. |
Significant reduction in pain with written information. |
|
| Sjolin 1994 |
Written information prior to mammogram and/or reflective comments during the procedure. |
Pain. |
4‐point scale; not validated. |
No significant difference with written information and reflection. |
All women in the study experienced very little pain with mammography. |
| Lambertz 1998 |
Premedication with acetoaminophen. |
Pain. |
VAS and Likert scale; validated. |
No significant difference. |
|
| Dibble 2005 |
Breast cushion. |
Pain and quality of mammogram. |
VAS and 11‐point scale for pain; validated. Board‐certified radiologist assessors. |
Significant pain reduction with breast cushion, but image quality affected in 2% of mammograms taken with breast cushion. |
|
| Kornguth 1993 |
Patient‐controlled compression. |
Pain and quality of mammogram. |
6‐point scale for pain; validated. Board‐certified radiologist assessors. |
Mammogram with patient‐controlled compression significantly less painful. |
Quality of mammogram only maintained if technologist performed first compression. |
| Poulos 1993 |
Reduction in compression force of mammography machine. |
Pain and quality of mammogram. |
5‐point scale for pain. No validation of scale. No reporting of radiologists' experience. |
No significant difference in pain experienced or image quality between groups. |
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