Der Schmerz
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The aim of this investigation was to describe the performance profile and the requirements for the management of complex pain patients for the structures of a consultation service. ⋯ Within the scope of the pain consultation, a wide spectrum of pain diagnoses and difficult patients are examined. Mixed forms of acute, chronic, and tumor-related pain are often present. Therapeutically, optimization of only the pharmacological regimen is often not sufficient. Similar requirements for a multimodal diagnosis and therapeutic concept as established in ambulatory and/or specialist care are ultimately needed.
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Chronic pain is a widespread social problem. This paper reports on the care situation for patients with chronic pain in out-patient community settings in Austria. ⋯ Quality criteria relating to the structure of care established by the Austrian Society for Pain have only been partially implemented. Potential for improvement exists particularly with regards to the prevalence of pain-specific training, interdisciplinary teamwork and the measurement of outcomes.
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Spinal injections are a treatment option in the conservative management of degenerative spinal disorders. The indications must be critically reviewed for every patient. ⋯ A large number of imaging techniques are used to achieve a precise and safe needle placement in interventional procedures. The following article presents an overview of common fluoroscopy-guided spinal injection techniques for the cervical spine.