Current pain and headache reports
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Provide an overview of the current diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of Susac's syndrome (SuS), with special emphasis on summarizing what is currently known about headache as a symptom of disease activity. ⋯ The most recent literature in SuS has focused on furthering the understanding of the underlying pathology and efficacy of treatments for SuS. The importance of early recognition to facilitate timely treatment and avoid long-term disability has been highlighted. Headache, the most common symptom experienced by patients with SuS, can occur up to 6 months in advance of other symptoms, and exacerbations of headache can herald increased disease activity. Susac's syndrome (SuS) is a rare disorder classically characterized by triad of encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO), and sensory neuronal hearing loss (SNHL). The full triad is uncommon at initial presentation, which can confound efforts to make timely diagnosis and treatment decisions. Headache is the most common symptom in SuS, is often an early feature, and can help separate SuS from other diagnoses in the differential. However, the features and management of the headache associated with SuS have not been systematically defined in the literature.
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Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a national epidemic with an immense consequence to the United States' healthcare system. Current therapeutic options are limited by adverse effects and limited efficacy. ⋯ Recent advances in therapeutic options for OUD have shown promise in the fight against this ongoing health crisis. Modifications to approved medication-assisted treatment (MAT) include office-based methadone maintenance, implantable and monthly injectable buprenorphine, and an extended-release injectable naltrexone. Therapies under investigation include various strategies such as heroin vaccines, gene-targeted therapy, and biased agonism at the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), but several pharmacologic, clinical, and practical barriers limit these treatments' market viability. This manuscript provides a comprehensive review of the current literature regarding recent innovations in OUD treatment.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Mar 2021
ReviewThe Application of Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block for Acute Pain Control of Hip Fracture and Surgery.
Over 300,000 patients are hospitalized annually following hip fractures in the USA. Many patients experienced inadequate analgesia. We will review the perioperative effects of the fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) in hip fracture patients. ⋯ FICB by injecting local anesthetics beneath the fascia iliaca results in significant pain relief in hip fractures. Neuropathies and vascular injuries are almost unlikely. Single-shot FICB is faster to place, yet providing about 8 h of analgesia when bupivacaine is used. Continuous FICB provides prolonged titratable analgesia, improved patient satisfaction, and leads to faster hospital discharge. FICB reduces opioid consumption, decreases morbidity and mortality, reduces hospital stay, reduces delirium, and improves satisfaction. FICB should form part of a multimodal analgesic regime, in the context of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of hip fracture patients. More clinical investigations are needed to validate the long-term outcome benefits of FICB in hip fracture patients.
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This review aims to provide relevant, aggregate information about a variety of disinfectants and antiseptics, along with potential utility and limitations. While not exhaustive, this review's goal is to add to the body of literature available on this topic and give interventional providers and practitioners an additional resource to consider when performing procedures. ⋯ In the current SARS-CoV2 epidemiological environment, infection control and costs associated with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are of paramount importance. Even before the onset of SARS-CoV2, HAIs affected nearly 2million patients a year in the USA and resulted in nearly 90,000 deaths, all of which resulted in a cost to hospitals ranging from US$28 billion to 45 billion. The onset SARS-CoV2, though not spread by an airborne route, has heightened infection control protocols in hospitals and, as such, cast a renewed focus on disinfectants and their utility across different settings and organisms. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of disinfectants used in the inpatient setting.
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Curr Pain Headache Rep · Mar 2021
ReviewPost-traumatic Headache and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Brain Networks and Connectivity.
Post-traumatic headache (PTH) consequent to mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a complex, multidimensional, chronic neurological disorder. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the current neuroimaging studies on mTBI and PTH with a specific focus on brain networks and connectivity patterns. ⋯ We present findings on PTH incidence and prevalence, as well as the latest neuroimaging research findings on mTBI and PTH. Additionally, we propose a new strategy in studying PTH following mTBI. The diversity and heterogeneity of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying mild traumatic brain injury pose unique challenges on how we interpret neuroimaging findings in PTH. Evaluating alterations in the intrinsic brain network connectivity patterns using novel imaging and analytical techniques may provide additional insights into PTH disease state and therefore inform effective treatment strategies.