Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2013
Comparative StudyRanking of tests for pain hypersensitivity according to their discriminative ability in chronic neck pain.
Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is widely used to investigate peripheral and central sensitization. However, the comparative performance of different QST for diagnostic or prognostic purposes is unclear. We explored the discriminative ability of different quantitative sensory tests in distinguishing between patients with chronic neck pain and pain-free control subjects and ranked these tests according to the extent of their association with pain hypersensitivity. ⋯ Pressure stimulation at the site of the most severe pain and parameters of electrical stimulation were the most appropriate QST to distinguish between patients with chronic neck pain and asymptomatic control subjects. These findings may be used to select the tests in future diagnostic and longitudinal prognostic studies on patients with neck pain and to optimize the assessment of localized and spreading sensitization in chronic pain patients.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2013
ReviewUltrasound-guided interventional procedures in pain medicine: a review of anatomy, sonoanatomy, and procedures. Part IV: hip.
Ultrasound-guided injection in pain medicine is emerging as a popular technique for pain intervention. It can be applied for the intervention procedures in the hip region. The objectives of this review article were to review the relevant anatomy and sonoanatomy of the hip joint and the trochanteric bursae, to describe the techniques for ultrasound-guided injections, and to examine the efficacy and accuracy of such injections.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialPatient perspectives of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and methods for improving pain control and patient satisfaction.
This study aimed to (1) identify patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) attributes that negatively impact patient satisfaction and ability to control pain while using PCA and (2) obtain data on patient perceptions of new PCA design features. ⋯ A majority of patients, irrespective of their satisfaction with PCA, preferred a new PCA design. Certain attributes of current PCA technology may negatively impact patient experience, and modifications could potentially address these concerns and improve patient outcomes.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2013
Comparative StudyNovice learner in-plane ultrasound imaging: which visualization technique?
Needle guidance under ultrasound is an acquired skill requiring fine motor control. Maintaining the image of an advancing needle in the plane of an ultrasound beam may be performed with the probe and needle orientated along the visual axis (AL) or across the visual axis (AC). This study was undertaken to determine if orientation affected task performance. ⋯ Advancing the needle along the visual axis was associated with improved task completion speed and quality of needle imaging. This ergonomic pattern, therefore, may be the more appropriate choice for novices learning ultrasound-guided in-plane needle imaging.