Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 1995
Clinical TrialLong-term intraspinal infusions of opioids in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Long-term intraspinal infusions of opioid drugs are being increasingly utilized in patients with noncancer pain. Despite this, there is a lack of long-term information, including success and failure rates for pain relief and technical problems. During a 5-year period, 18 noncancer patients underwent implantation of programmable infusion pumps for long-term intrathecal opioid infusion. ⋯ Failure of long-term pain relief occurred in 39% (7/18) despite good pain relief in trial infusions and the use of both morphine and sufentanil. Technical problems developed in 6/18 patients but appeared to be preventable with further experience. Long-term intrathecal opioid infusions can be effective in treatment of neuropathic pain but might require higher infusion doses.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 1995
Case ReportsLong-term ketamine subcutaneous continuous infusion in neuropathic cancer pain.
Neuropathic cancer pain may be less responsive to opioids than other pain. Several studies suggest that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonists could play a role in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Ketamine is an NMDA-receptor antagonist that is used as an anesthetic and has been suggested as a useful drug for neuropathic pain. ⋯ We describe a patient who developed neuropathic cancer pain unresponsive to opioid escalation and spinal administration of a combination of bupivacaine-morphine and was subsequently treated by subcutaneous continuous ketamine infusion. A starting dose of 150 mg/day provided good pain relief and a dramatic reduction of the oral morphine dose (from 5 g to 200 mg). A slow and progressive increase of ketamine and morphine dosage (400 mg and 200 mg by the subcutaneous route, respectively) continued to provide adequate pain relief after 13 months of therapy despite signs of progressive disease.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Oct 1995
Reduction of nausea and vomiting from epidural opioids by adding droperidol to the infusate in home-bound patients.
In 184 adult patients with severe nonmalignant low back pain from postlaminectomy syndrome, temporary lumbar epidural catheters were infused with either 0.25% bupivacaine 92 mL, fentanyl 600 micrograms, and droperidol 5 mg (Group A), or 0.25% bupivacaine 92 mL, fentanyl 600 micrograms, and NaCl 0.9% 2 mL (Group B). Infusion rates ranged from 0.5 to 2 mL per hour, with an option for turning the infusion off when the patient had no pain and turning it on when the pain returned. Infusions were continued from 2 to 55 days, during which time the patient was at home. ⋯ During treatments, pain levels were 2 or less on a 10-cm visual analogue scale. Added to the epidural infusate, droperidol appears to significantly reduce nausea and vomiting in ambulatory patients receiving fentanyl and bupivacaine in extended epidural infusions. The possibility that droperidol potentiates analgesic effects could not be evaluated.