Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of 0.5% intrathecal bupivacaine with 0.5% intrathecal ropivacaine in the treatment of refractory cancer and noncancer pain conditions: results from a prospective, crossover, double-blind, randomized study.
Intrathecal (IT) administration of bupivacaine (BUP) for treatment of "refractory" pain has sometimes been associated with unacceptable side effects. This study was undertaken to determine if IT-ropivacaine (ROP) can reduce the rate and intensity of these side effects e.g., urinary retention, paresthesia, and particularly, paresis with gait impairment. A prospective, crossover, double-blind, randomized study. ⋯ The results of this study do not support the hypothesis that IT infusion of 0.5% ROP has advantages over IT infusion of 0.5% BUP when administered for relief of "refractory" pain.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffect of oral mexiletine on capsaicin-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.
Mexiletine is a sodium channel blocker that has been used for the treatment of a variety of neuropathic pain syndromes. A recent double-blinded placebo-controlled study concluded that it was ineffective in the treatment of allodynia associated with neuropathic pain. However, this study failed to achieve adequate plasma levels of mexiletine. This was a study in healthy volunteers that sought to push the drug to dose-limiting side effects and then evaluate the effects on human experimental pain. ⋯ Mexiletine has minimal effects on human experimental pain. It is severely limited by side effects and tolerable doses seem to be void of effects on normal neurosensation and facilitated pain induced by capsaicin and thermal heat pulses.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffect of oral ketamine on secondary hyperalgesia, thermal and mechanical pain thresholds, and sedation in humans.
Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, and has been proven effective in alleviating secondary hyperalgesia in human subjects when injected intravenously. After oral ingestion, ketamine is metabolized into norketamine, which in vitro possesses NMDA receptor antagonistic effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oral administration of ketamine on secondary hyperalgesia evoked by standardized tissue injury. ⋯ Oral ketamine 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg has no effect on secondary hyperalgesia or thermal or mechanical pain thresholds in human volunteers.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
ReviewMaternal fever, neonatal sepsis evaluation, and epidural labor analgesia.
Numerous studies have found an association between epidural analgesia for labor and maternal fever (temperature > or =38 degrees C). Maternal fever often results in treatment with maternal or neonatal antibiotics, neonatal sepsis evaluation, and increased costs. ⋯ Maternal epidural labor analgesia is associated with maternal fever and possibly increased neonatal sepsis evaluation. There is no proof the relationship is causal.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2000
Technical aspects and postoperative sequelae of spinal and epidural anesthesia: a prospective study of 3,230 orthopedic patients.
Major complications after spinal or epidural anesthesia are extremely rare. The occurrence of less serious and transient sequelae and complaints may be underestimated if there is no established organization for the systematic and continuous surveillance of patients after anesthesia. This study was designed to evaluate the possible relationship between various block-related occurrences and the intra- and postoperative side effects and complaints. ⋯ Although sensory changes were quite frequent, they were mild and transient. Rather than having been caused by the anesthetic technique, per se, a "nonanesthetic" reason (position, tourniquet, immobilization) should also be considered as their origin. Sensory disturbances, as well as strong pain for at least a week, were reported by several patients, and to become aware of these problems and improve the quality of treatment, a universal regional anesthesia follow-up system is recommended.