Adverse events in pain treatment setting during 2014: a report on adverse events from the Committee on Safety of the Japan Society of Pain Clinicians

Abstract

In January 2015, the Committee on Safety of the Japan Society of Pain Clinicians (JSPC) distributed a questionnaire on pain management-related adverse events (AEs) in 2014 to all 343 board-certificated training facilities in Japan. Responses were received from 173 facilities (50％). Similar to the results of the 2012 and 2013 surveys, most reported AEs were classified as side effects of analgesics or analgesic adjuvants, or as complications of nerve blocks or interventional therapy. Side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pregabalin, and tramadol/acetaminophen were most frequently reported. The complications of nerve blocks and interventional therapy were as follows: loss of consciousness or respiratory-circulatory failure induced by the intravascular injection of local anesthetics; pneumothorax after an intercostal nerve block or trigger point injection; infection or hematoma induced by a stellate ganglion or epidural nerve block. It is necessary to share information on these AEs among the members of the JSPC and enhance the consideration of risk management in pain treatment settings.