Study should determine if performing the less uncomfortable part of the exam (the perianal exam) results in less recalled discomfort if performed last vs. if performed first.
Performance of the perianal examination at the end of the high resolution anoscopy (HRA) procedure will lead to patients reporting less discomfort directly following the procedure. The study team hypothesizes at least a 10% decrease in subsequently rated pain scores in the group where the perianal exam is performed last compared to the group where it is performed first.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
54
Perianal Exam is part of anal cancer screening. The perianal skin is also examined under magnification and, less commonly, perianal biopsies are obtained.
The HRA exam involves insertion of a plastic anoscope 4-6 cm into the anal canal, with use of 5% acetic acid and Lugol's iodine to highlight abnormal lesions for biopsy. The entire squamocolumnar junction is visualized during the exam, which lasts between 5 and 20 minutes.
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
High Resolution Anoscopy (HRA) discomfort scale
Visual analogue scale ranging from 1 to 10 with higher score denoting more pain.
Time frame: following the HRA procedure at day one
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