Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
-
Pain on injection of lidocaine is often considered a necessary evil, but it can be reduced by simple means.
-
Many patients with Parkinson’s disease with severe motor fluctuations benefit from advanced therapies – either deep brain stimulation or continuous infusion therapy with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel or apomorphine. In Norway, deep brain stimulation is provided as a shared national or multi-regional service. The treatment is currently available at Oslo University Hospital and St. Olavs Hospital; prior to 2012 it was also available at Haukeland University Hospital. Infusion therapy has no similar geographical restrictions. We therefore wished to examine geographical differences in the use of the two most common forms of advanced therapy for Parkinson’s disease. ⋯ Advanced therapies for Parkinson’s disease are offered throughout Norway, but there are significant geographical differences in the type of therapy initiated. One possible explanation is that patients in different counties receive different information about the therapeutic options available.
-
Blood products are a limited resource. A number of studies have shown that the use of thromboelastography (TEG) may reduce the need for blood transfusions. The analysis can be used in acute situations in patients with massive haemorrhage as a guide to transfusion therapy. Use of TEG may play an important role in targeting transfusion therapy.