Journal of pain research
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2014
Reduction of painful area as new possible therapeutic target in post-herpetic neuropathic pain treated with 5% lidocaine medicated plaster: a case series.
Post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) is neuropathic pain persisting after an acute episode of herpes zoster, and is associated with severe pain and sensory abnormalities that adversely affect the patient's quality of life and increase health care costs. Up to 83% of patients with PHN describe localized neuropathic pain, defined as "a type of neuropathic pain characterized by consistent and circumscribed area(s) of maximum pain". Topical treatments have been suggested as a first-line treatment for localized neuropathic pain. ⋯ Such patients benefit greatly from topical treatment of PHN. Our observations confirm the effectiveness of lidocaine plasters in the treatment of PHN, indicating that 5% lidocaine medicated plaster could reduce the size of the painful area. This last observation has to be confirmed and the mechanisms clarified in appropriate larger randomized controlled trials.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2014
A randomized clinical study of the heated lidocaine/tetracaine patch versus subacromial corticosteroid injection for the treatment of pain associated with shoulder impingement syndrome.
Treatment for pain due to shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) typically begins conservatively with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy and can include subacromial injection of corticosteroids, particularly in patients unresponsive to conservative measures. The heated lidocaine/tetracaine (HLT) patch has been reported to reduce SIS pain in a small case series. ⋯ These results suggest that short-term, noninvasive treatment with the HLT patch has similar efficacy to subacromial corticosteroid injections for the treatment of pain associated with SIS.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2014
Thoracic epidural infusion with chloroprocaine for postoperative analgesia following epicardial pacemaker placement in an infant.
In critically ill neonates and infants, major interventions, including thoracotomy, may result in significant postoperative respiratory insufficiency and pain leading to the need for postoperative mechanical ventilation. Although there are many potential options for providing postoperative analgesia, there continues to be expanding use of regional anesthesia in this population. ⋯ We report the use of thoracic epidural anesthesia using a continuous infusion of chloroprocaine to provide analgesia following thoracotomy and epicardial pacemaker placement in an infant. The perioperative plan was complicated by comorbid conditions including congenital complete heart block, recent rhinovirus infection with residual respiratory involvement, and prematurity.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2014
Substance use in children of parents with chronic pain - the HUNT study.
The aim of the present study was to investigate possible associations between parental chronic pain and smoking, alcohol, and drug use in adolescent offspring. ⋯ The present study expands on existing knowledge and provides groundwork for preventive and specific measures targeting substance use in families burdened with parental chronic pain.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2014
The importance of catastrophizing for successful pharmacological treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain.
Catastrophizing may be a negative predictor of pain-related outcomes. We evaluated the impact of catastrophizing upon success of first-line pharmacotherapy in the management of neuropathic pain (NeP) due to peripheral polyneuropathy. ⋯ Catastrophizing exerts maladaptive effects on outcomes with pharmacotherapy in NeP patients. Detection of catastrophizing during clinical visits when pharmacological therapy is being considered can be a predictive factor for patient outcomes.