Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jun 2022
Ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus block reduces opioid consumption in patients undergoing craniotomy via suboccipital retrosigmoid approach: a randomized controlled trial.
The effectiveness of superficial cervical plexus block (SCPB) at decreasing opioid use and improving hemodynamic stability during suboccipital retrosigmoid craniotomy has not been established. The aim of this study is to evaluate the analgesic effect of preoperative ultrasound-guided SCPB for craniotomy via a suboccipital retrosigmoid approach. ⋯ SCPB provides effective analgesia in patients undergoing craniotomy and tumor resection via suboccipital retrosigmoid approach. SCPB demonstrates an opioid-sparing effect and allows for the maintenance hemodynamic stability at an appropriate depth of anesthesia.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jun 2022
Factors involved in applicant interview selection and ranking for chronic pain medicine fellowship.
Applicants to chronic pain medicine fellowship programs often express confusion regarding the importance of various selection criteria. This study sought to elucidate program directors' considerations in applicant selection for fellowship interviews and ranking and to correlate these criteria with match statistics to provide a guide for prospective candidates. ⋯ Assessment of an applicant's commitment to chronic pain is challenging. Most responders prioritize the applicant's commitment to chronic pain as a specialty, scholarly activity, participation in chronic pain rotations, pain-related conferences and letters of recommendation from pain faculty. Chronic pain medicine fellowship candidates should establish a progressive pattern of genuine interest and involvement within the specialty during residency training to optimize their fellowship match potential.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jun 2022
Tramadol prescribed at discharge is associated with lower odds of chronic opioid use after elective total joint arthroplasty.
We aimed to study the association between tramadol prescribed at discharge (after elective total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) surgery) and chronic opioid use postoperatively. ⋯ Among patients undergoing elective THA/TKA surgery and discharged with a prescription of opioids, we found that prescription of tramadol combined with another opioid was associated with lower odds of chronic opioid use. This finding must be considered in the context of the tramadol's pharmacology, as well-described genetic differences in metabolism that can make it ineffective in many patients, while for patients with ultrarapid metabolism can cause drug-drug interactions and adverse events, including feelings of high and seizures.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jun 2022
Predictive factors affecting treatment success in ganglion impar block applied in chronic coccygodynia.
This study aimed to determine the predictive factors affecting the success of ganglion impar block applied in chronic coccygodynia. ⋯ Treatment success of ganglion impar block for coccygodynia is high. However, longer preprocedure symptom duration and the presence of permanent subluxation were associated with a decrease likelihood of treatment success.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jun 2022
Crystallization of ropivacaine and bupivacaine when mixed with different adjuvants: a semiquantitative light microscopy analysis.
Amino-amide local anesthetics precipitate when mixed with some commonly used adjuvants, carrying the risk of perineural or vascular crystal deposition. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether crystallization occurs with routinely used local anesthetic-adjuvant combinations and if a relation with the solution's pH exists. ⋯ Our study showed that crystallization is present in pure local anesthetics and may be increased or decreased by admixture of adjuvants. Higher pH of mixtures was weakly associated with more crystallization. Further research is necessary to translate these findings into clinical practice.