Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research
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The aim of this study was to examine the impact of intravenous methylprednisolone therapy (IVMP) on the recovery of walking ability in patients experiencing multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses, to compare the responsiveness of walking-based measures, and to estimate the impact of different walking-based measures responsiveness on clinical trials. ⋯ All applied walking-based measures showed significant improvement of walking ability 1 month after the IVMP. Responsiveness of various walking-based measures notably differ, thus affecting sample size calculations.
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Comparative Study
Epidural and opioid analgesia following the Nuss procedure.
Parents have the right to decide on behalf of their children and deny consent to regional anaesthesia. The investigators decided to investigate quality of postoperative analgesia in adolescents undergoing epidural and opioid analgesia following the Nuss procedure. material/methods: The study subjects were 61 adolescents aged 11-18 years who underwent pectus excavatum repair with the Nuss procedure. Patients were divided into epidural (n=41) and opioid (n=20) groups, depending on their parents' consent to epidural catheter insertion. Intraoperatively, 0.5% epidural ropivacaine with fentanyl or intermittent intravenous injections of fentanyl were used. Postoperative analgesia was achieved with either epidural infusion of 0.1% ropivacaine with fentanyl, or subcutaneous morphine via an intraoperatively inserted "butterfly" cannula. Additionally, both groups received metamizol and paracetamol. Primary outcome variables were postoperative pain scores (Numeric Rating Scale and Prince Henry Hospital Pain Score). Secondary outcome variables included hemodynamic parameters, additional analgesia and side effects. ⋯ Denial of parental consent to epidural analgesia following the Nuss procedure results in significantly worse control of postoperative pain. Our data may be useful when discussing with parents the available anaesthetic techniques for exceptionally painful procedures.
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An observational study on the epidemiological and mycological profile of Candidemia in ICU patients.
This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and mycological profile of candidemia in intensive care unit (ICU) patients attending a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Himalayan region of northern India. ⋯ Contrary to the majority of recent reports, species shift towards non-albicans candidemia has not been observed in our center, though the prevalence of azole resistance is alarmingly high even among the C. albicans isolates.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of preemptive analgesia with bupivacaine in patients undergoing mastectomy for carcinoma of the breast.
In this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial we tested the hypothesis that preemptive analgesia with bupivacaine applied in the area of the surgical incision in patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer would reduce post-operative acute pain and would reduce the amount of analgesics used during surgery and in the post-operative period. ⋯ Preemptive analgesia application in the form of infiltration of the area of planned surgical incisions with bupivacaine in breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy decreases post-operative pain sensation, limits the amount of fentanyl used during surgery, and reduces the demand for opiates in the hours soon after surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Oxycodone and dexamethasone for pain management after tonsillectomy: a placebo-controlled EMG assessed clinical trial.
Surface electromyographic (sEMG) study of post-tonsillectomy swallow-evoked muscular reactions was performed in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oxycodone and dexamethasone in pain management after tonsillectomy. ⋯ Application of oxycodone significantly reduces the postoperative pain. Application of dexamethasone after tonsillectomy is advisable because of the reduction of postoperative morbidity while the reduction of the postoperative pain is secondary to the reduction of edema. SEMG might be used as an adjunctive measure of pain behavior via assessment of muscular reactions to pain and to analgesia.