Ugeskrift for laeger
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Feb 2011
Review[Coccygectomy can be a treatment option in chronic coccygodynia].
Coccygodynia is pain in the region of the coccyx. Treatment is primarily conservative, but some patients have persistent pain and may require surgical treatment. ⋯ Overall, 83% had an excellent or good result. We recommend coccygectomy for selected patients with intractable coccygodynia.
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Good clinical skills and dexterity alone do not make a good surgeon. Skills in leadership, decision-making, communication and teamwork, so-called non-technical skills, are also needed. ⋯ Implementation of a preoperative briefing also improves communication and reduces the number of postoperative complications. Focus should be directed towards the training of surgeons in non-technical skills in order to improve outcome after surgery.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Jan 2011
[Regional anaesthesia may be used in selected acute compartment syndrome patients].
Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is a serious condition which, if not treated promptly, can cause severe disability or even death. Regional anaesthesia (epidural analgesia or peripheral nerve blocks) is increasingly used in postoperative pain management in orthopaedic surgery, but has been presumed to mask the symptoms of ACS. We present a short review of the current literature relating regional anaesthesia to a delayed diagnosis of ACS and find no convincing evidence that regional anaesthesia is unsafe in patients with a high risk of ACS.
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Herpes zoster (HZ) and post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) are frequently occurring diseases in elderly and in immuno-compromised persons. The live attenuated HZ vaccine boosts an existing immune response, so that the already established varicella-zoster virus infection is kept latent. ⋯ However, the clinical efficacy of the vaccine is best studied in people aged = 60 years. The vaccine has so far not shown any serious side-effects.