Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2015
Cervical Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Value.
Cervical transforaminal epidural steroid injections (CTFESIs) may help decrease pain and restore function in patients with cervical radiculopathy. Evidence of the injections' effectiveness, however, remains controversial, and multiple case reports have identified potential complications. Such reports have led to diminished interest in including the procedure in patient care algorithms. ⋯ This retrospective analysis further demonstrates the safety, diagnostic value, and possible therapeutic role of CTFESIs. A larger, controlled, randomized study is needed to assess definitively the procedure's efficacy and safety.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2015
Ultrasound-Guided Approach for L5 Dorsal Ramus Block and Fluoroscopic Evaluation in Unpreselected Cadavers.
Medial branch blocks are frequently performed to diagnose lumbar facet-joint-mediated pain. Ultrasound guidance can increase practicability and eliminate exposure to ionizing radiation when compared with fluoroscopy. However, ultrasound-guided L5 dorsal ramus block, which, together with L4 medial branch block is necessary to anesthetize the most commonly affected facet joint L5/S1, has not been described so far. The objective of this study was to develop a technique and to evaluate its accuracy with standard fluoroscopy in unpreselected cadavers. ⋯ This is the first study to show that ultrasound-guided L5 dorsal ramus block is accurate and feasible in the absence of significant spondylolisthesis when performed with an oblique out-of-plane technique.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2015
Population Pharmacokinetics of Amitriptyline After Intrathecal, Epidural, and Intravenous Administration in Sheep.
Amitriptyline (AMI) is a lipophilic, tricyclic antidepressant with analgesic properties that could potentially be used for epidural (EPI) analgesia. However, no pharmacokinetic data are available for AMI in spinal spaces. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spinal disposition and intrathecal (IT) bioavailability of AMI after IT and EPI administration. ⋯ Simultaneous population analysis for AMI demonstrated differences in EPI and IT pharmacokinetics following the EPI and IT administration of this drug. The IT bioavailability of AMI after EPI administration is relatively low.