Published Paper Details:

Background : The major morbidity experienced by patients with hemophilia (PWH) today is joint disease. Although administration of antihemophilic factor to prevent bleeding has been demonstrated to prevent hemophilic joint disease when applied assiduously, PWH who develop severe arthropathy may experience relentless pain, loss of motion and functional disability. In Morocco, faced to the difficult access to antihemophilic factors and easy access to analgesic drogues, the management of hemophilic arthropathy and the pain that can cause it is very delicate. The aim of this first study in morocco in this field is to conduct a survey to assess the pain experienced by PWH and the therapeutic means used. Methods : A self-assessment questionnaire was developed from "the Brief Pain Inventory" (BPI), that was adapted to our context and to our population in order to characterize the pain and to evaluate the nature and the effectiveness of the treatments as well as the patient satisfaction with of their care. Results : One hundred three PWH participated in the survey, the median age was 28 years, 87% of pain was acute. The median number of pain episodes per year was at 3 times. ninety-one percent of our patients presented at least one episode of painful arthropathy less in their lives. The median intensity of the most intense pain was at 9. the knee is reported in 84% of cases. The pain impacted quality of life in 43% of cases. Ninety-two percent of patients are regularly using analgesic drugs. The median efficacy rate of analgesics before any use of antihemophilic factor has been estimated at 70%. Conclusion : The study showed that the development of an education program and an effective pain management in hemophilia is essential to reduce the burden that pain places on patients and improve their quality of life.