Wich factors are related to painful experience in patients affected by chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease during the COVID-19 pandemic

El Joumani, T.; Rkain, H.; Fatima Zahrae, T.; Kenza, H.; Abouqal, R.; Laila, N.; Bahloul, S.; Nada, E. A.; Latifa, T.; Hajjaj-Hassouni, N.; Allali, F.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of containment, during the Covid-19 pandemic, on the pain of patients with CIRD, and to analyze the factors associated with the experience of pain. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with rheumatic diseases using a questionnaire providing information on patients and disease characteristics. Impact of COVID-19 on This is a cross-sectional study that consecutively included Patients were asked to assess the global pain which they had experienced before and during the containment period, using a single Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (greatest pain). Statistical Analysis System IBM SPSS Statistics V20.0.0 was used to analyze the study data. We performed univariate then multivariate analysis to search any related factors to pain perception during to quarantines. Qualitative values were analyzed by the chi2 test. Quantitative values were analyzed by the Student test when the measures were normally distributed or by nonparametric test (Mann-Whitney U) when the measures were not normally distributed (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to test normality). Results: Among the 350 patients who answered to the questionnaire online, rheumatoid arthritis represented 62.3%, spondyloarthropathy 34.3% and undifferentiated CIRD 3.4%. Pain experience caused by the CIRD during the containment was reported by 79.1% of patients. The level of pain, using the VAS of Pain increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic (4,6 ± 2,8 and 5,4 ± 3 before and during the containment;p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the factors implicated in pain were the negative impact of Coronavirus on access to rheumatologic care, discontinuation of therapeutic adherence, the disturbed quality of sleep and the negative psychological impact (table 1). Table 1: Summarize multivariable analysis of factors associated with painful experience related to CIRD during containement. Conclusion: This survey showed the that the COVID-19 pandemic have incresed painful experience in CIRD patients. Factors influencing painful experience should be taken into account to help patients to cope with their chronic rheumatism and this global health crisis.