Table 2.
Differences in pain characteristics between sexes.
| Measure | Males (N = 275, 64%) | Females (N = 154, 36%) | Total (N = 429) | Effect size (CI; P) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median (IQR) | ||||
| Least pain intensity (NPS, 0-10) | 4 (2-5) | 4 (2-6) | 4 (2-6) | 0.17 (−0.03 to 0.38; P = 0.36) |
| Average pain intensity (NPS, 0-10) | 7 (5-8) | 7 (6-8) | 7 (5-8) | 0.18 (−0.01 to 0.38; P = 0.20) |
| Worst pain intensity (NPS, 0-10) | 8 (8-10) | 9 (8-10) | 9 (8-10) | 0.19 (−0.01 to 0.39; P = 0.24) |
| No. of patients (%) | ||||
| Pain frequency | ||||
| Constant | 142 (52) | 85 (55) | 227 (53) | 0.11 (0.02 to 0.21; P = 0.47) |
| Sporadic | 133 (48) | 69 (45) | 202 (47) | |
| Pain etiology* | ||||
| Neuropathic | 205 (75) | 107 (62) | 312 (73) | 0.78 (0.49 to 1.20; P = 0.31) |
| Musculoskeletal | 168 (61) | 88 (57) | 256 (60) | 0.85 (0.56 to 1.30; P = 0.49) |
| Nociplastic | 43 (16) | 70 (45) | 113 (26) | 4.50 (2.80 to 7.30; P < 0.001) |
| Visceral | 33 (12) | 29 (19) | 62 (14) | 0.59 (0.33 to 1.10; P = 0.07) |
| Headaches | 55 (20) | 56 (36) | 111 (26) | 2.30 (1.40 to 3.60; P < 0.001) |
| Any analgesics consumption (yes) | 128 (47) | 70 (45) | 198 (46) | 1.10 (0.69 to 1.6; P = 0.88) |
| OTC analgesics (yes) | 30 (11) | 24 (16) | 54 (13) | 0.67 (0.36 to 1.20; P = 0.22) |
| NSAID analgesics (yes) | 19 (7) | 17 (11) | 36 (8) | 0.60 (0.29 to 1.30; P = 0.20) |
| Weak opioids (yes) | 40 (15) | 21 (14) | 61 (14) | 1.10 (0.59 to 2.00; P = 0.90) |
| Strong opioids (yes) | 57 (21) | 26 (17) | 83 (19) | 1.30 (0.76 to 2.30; P = 0.39) |
| Anticonvulsant adjuvant analgesics (yes) | 26 (10) | 17 (11) | 43 (10) | 1.20 (0.58 to 2.40; P = 0.73) |
| Antidepressant adjuvant analgesics (yes) | 39 (14) | 31 (20) | 70 (16) | 1.50 (0.87 to 2.60; P = 0.15) |
| IV analgesics (yes) | 7 (3) | 9 (6) | 16 (4) | 2.40 (0.77 to 7.60; P = 0.15) |
Weak opioids included buprenorphine hydrochloride, tramadol hydrochloride OD, etc.; strong opioids included fentanyl, methadone, oxycodone hydrochloride, etc.; anticonvulsants included pregabalin, gabapentin, etc.; antidepressants included amitriptyline hydrochloride, duloxetine, etc.; IV, intravenous analgesics included IV ketamine, IV magnesium, and IV lidocaine.
*
Either as a single pain etiology or in combination with other pain etiologies does not add up to 100%.
CI, confidence interval; IQR, interquartile range; NPS, Numerical Pain Scale; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (including ibuprofen, etoricoxib, etc); OTC, over the counter (including paracetamol and dipyrone).