Although frequency of chronic pain decreases by performing transplantation in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, it is still reported as a cause of morbidity in kidney transplant recipients. It is known that chronic pain makes people seek health care more frequently. This effect of chronic pain, however, has not been previously studied in kidney transplant recipients. The aim of this study was to assess the association between pain and health care utilization in these subjects.In this longitudinal study, 122 Iranian kidney recipients who had underwent kidney transplantation in Baqiyatallah hospital between 2003 and 2006, were assessed. According to the severity of chronic pain, patients were categorized into Group I (no pain), Group II (mild to moderate pain) and Group III (severe to very sever pain). Health care utilization was followed for the 12 months, in the means of 1) outpatient physician visit, 2) hospital admission, 3) emergency department visit, and 4) home nurse use. Each of the parts of health care utilization was compared in the groups.
A stepwise increase in hospital admission was seen with increase of pain severity (39.6%, 61.5%, 67.4%, p=0.017) and emergency department visit (22.6%, 34.6%, 53.5%, p=0.007), in the three groups. Mean numbers of hospitalizations (10.42±7.545, 15.40±15.679, 22.67±14.275, p=0.009) showed a similar trend in the study groups. Outpatient physician visit and home nurse care were not significantly different in the groups (p>0.05). Chronic pain is a major cause of higher healthcare use after kidney transplantation. Diagnosis and management of pain in renal transplant recipients should be regarded as a means of lowering healthcare costs, particularly, in developing countries.