Pain physician
-
Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) has been reported to provide a favorable analgesic effect for pain caused by osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). However, a systematic review demonstrated that pain relief was only reported for approximately 86% of kyphoplasty treatments. ⋯ The addition of an FJB (which in our study involved a unique combination of ropivacaine, prednisolone, and vitamin B12) improved the short-term clinical outcome of PKP for acute OVCFs. The local anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on the facet joints resulted in higher intraoperative satisfaction and lower VAS and ODI scores for the first postoperative month when compared with the PKP group.
-
Tapentadol has relatively less effect on mu-opioid receptors compared with other opioids. This has the potential to reduce the occurrence of gastrointestinal (GI) adverse drug events (ADEs). ⋯ Tapentadol IR is associated with similar GI ADE occurrence compared with oxycodone IR in patients with orthopedic postoperative pain during hospitalization.
-
Shoulder rotation has been shown to increase the acoustic window of ultrasound for thoracic epidural access. However, this effect of shoulder rotation has not yet been confirmed in clinical practice. ⋯ The study findings demonstrate the clinical benefits of the shoulder rotation position versus the lateral decubitus position in terms of successful epidural access during thoracic epidural blockade using the paramedian approach.
-
In the aging population, osteoporosis and related complications have become a global public health problem. Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures are among the most common type of osteoporotic fractures and patients are at risk of secondary vertebral compression fracture. ⋯ Patients with low Hounsfield units value of L1 or non-spinal fracture history are an important population to target for secondary fracture prevention.
-
Associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and chronic pain disorders, such as fibromyalgia, have been reported. However, associations between persistent chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) and ADHD have not yet been investigated. ⋯ Our findings revealed that the subscale scores on an ADHD scale were considerably high in patients with persistent CNLBP. As a previous study of our clinical experience indicates that persistent CNLBP can be substantially relieved by administering ADHD medications, ADHD screening is warranted in the treatment of persistent CNLBP.