Pain physician
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A previous study revealed elevated serum Immunoglobulin E (IgE) in ketamine related cystitis (KC) patients. IgE might participate the pathogenesis of different types of bladder pain syndromes, including KC and interstitial cystitis (IC). ⋯ Immunoglobulin E, ketamine cystitis, interstitial cystitis.
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Case Reports
Pain Relief in CRPS-II after Spinal Cord and Motor Cortex Simultaneous Dual Stimulation.
We describe a case of a 30-year-old woman who suffered a traumatic injury of the right brachial plexus, developing severe complex regional pain syndrome type II (CRPS-II). After clinical treatment failure, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was indicated with initial positive pain control. However, after 2 years her pain progressively returned to almost baseline intensity before SCS. Additional motor cortex electrode implant was then proposed as a rescue therapy and connected to the same pulse generator. This method allowed simultaneous stimulation of the motor cortex and SCS in cycling mode with independent stimulation parameters in each site. At 2 years follow-up, the patient reported sustained improvement in pain with dual stimulation, reduction of painful crises, and improvement in quality of life. The encouraging results in this case suggests that this can be an option as add-on therapy over SCS as a possible rescue therapy in the management of CRPS-II. However, comparative studies must be performed in order to determine the effectiveness of this therapy. ⋯ Chronic neuropathic pain, Complex regional pain syndrome Type II, brachial plexus injury, motor cortex stimulation, spinal cord stimulation.
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The increase in the utilization of various techniques in managing chronic pain, including interventional techniques, is a major concern for policy-makers and the public at large. Consequently, multiple regulations have been instituted to reduce health care expenditures in general and expenditures related to interventional techniques in particular. Previous investigations have shown significant increases of utilization of interventional techniques across the board with minor decreases noted in 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013. ⋯ Interventional pain management, chronic spinal pain, interventional techniques, epidural injections, adhesiolysis, facet joint interventions, sacroiliac joint injections, disc procedures, other types of nerve blocks.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of Intrathecal Concentrations of Acyclovir following Epidural and Intravenous Administration in Rats.
Herpes zoster is a disease caused by reactivation of varicella-zoster virus in sensory cranial nerves and dorsal root ganglion. Our presumption was that epidural administration of acyclovir near the viral burden could be more advantageous than intravenous (IV) administration. The cerebrospinal fluid concentration of acyclovir after epidural administration was determined to be higher than that after IV administration in rats. ⋯ Acyclovir, epidural injection, herpes zoster, varicella zoster virus.
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Comparative Study
The Effectiveness of Alcohol Versus Phenol Based Splanchnic Nerve Neurolysis for the Treatment of Intra-Abdominal Cancer Pain.
Pancreatic and other upper abdominal organ malignancies can produce intense visceral pain syndromes that are frequently treated with splanchnic nerve neurolysis (SNN) or celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN). Although commonly performed with either alcohol or phenol, there is scant literature on the comparative effectiveness, duration of benefit, and complication profile comparing the 2 agents. This study presents a retrospective chart review of 93 patients who underwent SNN for cancer-related abdominal pain in order to describe patient characteristics, examine comparative efficacy, duration of benefit, and incidence of complications with alcohol vs. those of phenol. Consistent with previous studies, SNN reduced reported pain scores while not significantly reducing opioid consumption. No difference in pain outcomes was found comparing alcohol versus phenol based neurolytic techniques. Celiac axis tumor infiltration and pre-procedural local radiation therapy did not change the effectiveness of the procedure. Our data demonstrated that 44.57% of patients had = 30% pain reduction while 43.54% did not have pain reduction. Interestingly, the procedure produced significant improvements in anxiety, depression, difficulty thinking clearly, and feeling of well-being. In addition, no difference in complications was seen between the agents either. SNN was an effective and relatively safe procedure for the treatment of pain associated with pancreatic and other upper abdominal organ malignancies in our sample of patients. Choice of neurolytic agent can appropriately be left to the clinical judgment and local availability of the treating physician. The change in ancillary symptoms has a theoretical basis that supports a biopsychosocial model of pain since changes in one target area (pain) impact other related ones (depression and anxiety). ⋯ Celiac plexus, splanchnic nerves, neurolysis, nerve block, alcohol, ethanol, phenol, pain, cancer pain, abdominal pain, visceral pain, symptom assessment.