Der Schmerz
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Postherpetic neuralgia is considered to be a neuropathic pain syndrome. Typically, patients experience pain in the dermatomes of skin lesions persisting for more than 3 months after skin restitution. About 10% of patients with herpes zoster develop postherpetic neuralgia. ⋯ Clinical studies did show pain relief in postherpetic neuralgia after administration of antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, opioids, and topical capsaicin and lidocaine. Nevertheless, about one third of patients do not respond to conventional treatment. Given the fact that postherpetic neuralgia is considered to be a chronic pain disease, a multidisciplinary treatment approach is necessary.
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Practice Guideline
[Pediatric perioperative systemic pain therapy : Austrian interdisciplinary recommendations on pediatric perioperative pain management].
Many analgesics used in adult medicine are not licensed for pediatric use. Licensing limitations do not, however, justify that children are deprived of a sufficient pain therapy particularly in perioperative pain therapy. The treatment is principally oriented to the strength of the pain. Due to the degree of pain caused, intramuscular and subcutaneous injections should be avoided generally. ⋯ Ketamine is used as an adjuvant in postoperative pain therapy and is recommended for use in pediatric sedation and analgosedation.
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Practice Guideline
[Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of pain therapy in neonates : Austrian interdisciplinary recommendations on pediatric perioperative pain management].
The false assumption that neonates are less sensitive to pain than adults led to a long delay in the introduction of a reasonable pain therapy for children. Even if the basic principles of the development, transmission and perception of pain in premature infants and neonates are not completely understood, the results of studies have clearly shown that pain can be perceived from 22 weeks of gestation onwards. This knowledge results in the necessity to also administer an adequate pain therapy to premature and newly born infants. ⋯ The different physical proportions also modify the dosing of pharmaceuticals. Children in the first year of life differ substantially from adults in physiology, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. The care of neonates and infants requires specialist knowledge which is described in this article.
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Non-pharmaceutical procedures are increasingly being used in pediatric pain therapy in addition to pharmaceutical procedures and have a supporting function. This article describes the non-pharmaceutical procedures which have an influence on perioperative and posttraumatic pain in children and adolescents. Prerequisites for every adequate pain therapy are affection, imparting a feeling of security, distraction and the creation of a child-oriented environment. ⋯ Psychological methods can facilitate coping with pain. In situations with mental and psychiatric comorbidities or psychosocial impairment, a psychologist should be consulted. Acupuncture and hypnosis are also a meaningful addition within the framework of multimodal pain therapy.
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Practice Guideline
[Organization of pediatric pain management : Austrian interdisciplinary recommendations for pediatric perioperative pain management].
Postoperative pain management is still in need of vast improvement, especially for children. The aim of this article is to demonstrate which structures and processes must be optimized to ultimately improve patient satisfaction and safety. ⋯ Whether improvements in acute pediatric pain therapy will actually be achieved can only be realized by standardized compilation and analysis of the quality of therapy. For this purpose QUIPSInfant was developed.