Weighted Blankets for Postsurgical Pain

University of California, San Diego168 enrolled

Overview

The strongest psychological predictor of persistent pain after surgery is anxiety before surgery. The weight of blanket a person uses overnight may alter both anxiety and pain levels. The proposed study will determine whether a heavier or lighter blanket alters presurgical anxiety or postsurgical pain in individuals undergoing a breast surgery. We will also study whether any blanket-induced changes in postsurgical pain are related to reductions in anxiety before surgery induced by the blanket. Finally, we will examine clinical and psychological factors that might explain differences in how surgical patients respond to blanket weight. This research will improve our understanding of whether blanket weight can alter anxiety before a surgery or pain after a surgery.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

TRIPLE

Enrollment

168

Conditions

Pain, Postsurgical

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Fluent in English * Undergoing breast surgery * Willing to sleep with a weighted blanket for up to 3 months * BMI of at least 18.5 and able to safely lift up to 15lb * Willing and able to use their personal smartphone for the ecological momentary assessment app to submit ratings using personal data plan Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Chronic high-dose opioid use * Current or previous use of a weighted blanket * Claustrophobia * Incarceration

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in anxiety ratings from before to during blanket use before surgery

Anxiety ratings will be compared before and during use of weighted blanket on the following scale: "Extremely anxious" to "Neutral" to "Extremely calm"

Time frame: arrival to surgical center and final rating prior to surgery

Change in postsurgical pain from before to after overnight blanket use

Brief Pain Inventory score will be compared before and after overnight use of assigned blanket

Time frame: baseline (before surgery) and 1 and 3 months after surgery

Change in medication use from before to after overnight blanket use

Medications taken in past 24 hours will be self-reported