Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · Sep 1985
Nerve blocks and chronic pain states--an update. 2. Clinical indications.
With the unfortunate exception of the differential spinal block, diagnostic nerve blocking has become somewhat obsolete with the development of newer, more sophisticated diagnostic technology. Therapeutic nerve blocks remain useful in treating patients with various terminal cancers, some forms of back pain, tic douloreux, causalgia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, and many trigger point syndromes. For dysfunctional and pain-disabled patients (rated as class 1 or 3 on Emory Pain Estimate Model), block therapy must be structured in comprehensive pain rehabilitation programs.
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Postgraduate medicine · Sep 1985
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Practical aspects and applications.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a commonly used method of treating patients with pain, both acute and chronic. Although several hypotheses have been proposed, the mechanism by which TENS alters pain perception is still unknown. Symptomatic relief of pain adjunctive to a comprehensive program of pain management is the only justified indication for TENS use.
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Postgraduate medicine · Sep 1985
Oncologic emergencies in primary care. Five malignancy-associated conditions to watch for.
Acute problems requiring emergency management may occur in association with malignancy. The most common are superior vena cava syndrome, compression of the spinal cord or cauda equina, hypercalcemia, tumor lysis syndrome, and fever in the neutropenic patient. Successful management requires that the physician be aware of the potential for such an emergency in a cancer patient and give priority to treatment, based on clinical evidence and a few essential studies, over definitive diagnosis.