Anesthesiology and pain medicine
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Effective control of postoperative pain remains one of the most important and pressing issues in the field of surgery and has a significant impact on our health care system. In too many patients, pain is treated inadequately, causing them needless suffering and they can develop complications as an indirect consequence of pain. Analgesic modalities, if properly applied, can prevent or at least minimize this needless suffering and these complications. ⋯ The results of our study indicate that for patients who are scheduled for hip surgery, both continuous paravertebral and continuous epidural analgesia are effective in controlling postoperative pain but that the former has several crucial advantages.
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Low back disorder is the most common problem in the entire spinal axis. About two-thirds of adults suffer from low back pain (LBP) at some time. Pain generators in the lumbar spine include the annulus of the disc, the posterior longitudinal ligament, a portion of the dural membrane, the facet joints, the spinal nerve roots and ganglia, and the associated paravertebral muscle fascia. There is no doubt that the facet joint is a potential source of chronic LBP. Facet joints are true synovial joints that have a joint space, hyaline cartilage surfaces, a synovial membrane, and a fibrous capsule. Two medial branches of the dorsal rami innervate the facet joints. If conservative measures fail in the treatment of facet joint pain, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) of the medial branches can be administered. ⋯ This study suggests that PRF treatment of the lumbar medial branches provides good pain relief for at least 6 months in 70% of patients who suffer from lumbar facet joint pain.
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Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is one of the common problems after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ⋯ Intravenous injection of 8 mg Dexamethasone or 3 mg Granisetron before anesthesia induction had similar effects in prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
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Intentional lowering of blood pressure helps to produce a desirably clean surgical field. Many drugs can be used to induce a hypotensive state, but due to their high potency and rapid effect, drugs that more easily and safely control the induction of hypotension are desirable. ⋯ Premedication with oral clonidine can improve the hemodynamic management of cesarean cases.