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Persistent Pain Among Elderly Experiencing Motor Vehicle Collision

Persistent Pain and Associated Functional Decline Among Elderly Experiencing Motor Vehicle Collision

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02054962
Acronym
Elderly CRASH
Enrollment
211
Registered
2014-02-04
Start date
2012-06-30
Completion date
2017-11-30
Last updated
2018-02-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Functional Decline After Injury, Persistent Pain After Injury

Keywords

Pain

Brief summary

Chronic problems after traumatic events are common in non-elderly adults. Previous studies have shown that after minor motor vehicle collision (MVC), 10-30% of non-elderly adult patients develop chronic regional pain (neck or back pain). In addition, up to 1/3 of non-elderly adults will develop psychological sequelae, including posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders. There have been no prospective studies examining the frequency or predictors of persistent pain or psychological sequelae in older adults. The proposed study seeks to determine the frequency of persistent pain, psychological sequelae, and associated disability in older adults after minor MVC trauma and to identify candidate predictors for a model of adverse outcomes after MVC in this population. 200 individuals over 65 years of age will be recruited from emergency departments in four states with no-fault accident laws. Patients who meet inclusion criteria and who consent to the emergency department (ED) study will undergo a 30-45 minute ED assessment of crash-related, psychosocial, and biological factors, and complete telephone follow-ups at 2 weeks, 6 weeks 6 months, and 12 months. The wealth of information gained from this study will be used to determine the frequency of adverse events in older adults after MVC and to identify high risk elderly patients. These results will inform subsequent development of secondary pharmacologic and/or behavioral interventions to prevent chronic pain and psychological sequelae after traumatic events in older adults.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

National Institute on Aging (NIA)
CollaboratorNIH
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient speaks English, presented to ER less than 24 hours after an MVC, patient has an address and telephone

Exclusion criteria

* Patient * is a prisoner, * has fractures or an intracranial injury, * has injuries that are life threatening or expected to result in hospitalization for more than 72 hours, * is receiving end of life, hospice, or comfort care, or * is considered ineligible by treating physician.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Average pain 6 months after Emergency Department visit6 monthsAverage pain during the past week with pain measured on a 0-10 scale.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Physical function at 6 months after Emergency Department visit6 monthsFunction measured on a 0-12 scale based on patient reported ability or difficulty walking, carrying objects, and climbing stairs (Simonsick E, et al. 2001).

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026