Addressing Gaps in Pain Management for Patients With ADPKD

Clinicians should work closely with patients with ADPKD to foster an open dialogue and develop a personalized care plan to help manage their pain. Chronic pain is common in patients with advanced ADPKD. With research indicating that 39% of patients with ADPKD are “somewhat or completely dissatisfied” with pain treatment since they are physically unable to do what they would like, it is imperative for clinicians to identify effective management strategies for both a patient’s ADPKD and chronic pain. Physicians also need to consider that patients with ADPKD are at risk for developing abdominal pain not related to their kidney. Carefully understanding a patient’s history and conducting a thorough physical examination are usually revealing, as cyst hemorrhage, urinary tract infection, and nephrolithiasis are common causes of acute pain in ADPKD. Studies suggest that different management strategies for ADPKD, especially those that delay the risk for rapid progression, can help reduce patient pain levels since it may slow their increase in total kidney volume.