The Journal of hand surgery
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Gabapentinoids are commonly prescribed for the treatment of neuropathic pain but are not recommended for the primary treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We sought (1) to investigate the preoperative use of gabapentinoids for the treatment of CTS and (2) to determine whether preoperative exposure is associated with persistent gabapentinoid and opioid use after carpal tunnel release. ⋯ Prognostic II.
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The surgical burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) is immense. Despite the increase in resources invested in surgical outreach trips to LMIC, there is no consistent process for understanding the needs of the site and for preparing the necessary resources to deliver care. Given the importance and lack of a comprehensive and standardized needs assessment tool, we aimed to create a tool that assesses the needs and capacity of a site to inform site selection and expectations and improve quality of care. ⋯ A needs assessment tool is a standardized, comprehensive tool to assess the needs and capacity of a new site prior to hand surgery outreach trips to improve site selection, expectation setting, and delivery of high-quality, safe, and effective care in LMIC.