ANZ journal of surgery
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ANZ journal of surgery · Jul 2008
Anaesthesia and analgesia: contribution to surgery, present and future.
Anaesthetists provide comprehensive perioperative medical care to patients undergoing surgical and diagnostic procedures, including postoperative intensive care when needed. They are involved in the management of perioperative acute pain as well as chronic pain. ⋯ It assesses the resulting progress in acute and chronic pain services and looks at patient safety and risk management. It speculates on directions that may shape its future contributions to the management of the patient undergoing surgery.
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ANZ journal of surgery · Jul 2008
Predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder following major trauma.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common sequel to physical trauma, but there is disagreement regarding the predictors of this condition. This study aims to examine the role of physical, psychosocial and compensation-related factors in the development of PTSD following major trauma. ⋯ Post-traumatic stress disorder after major trauma was not related to measures of injury severity, but was related to other factors, such as blaming others for the accident and the processes involved in claiming compensation.
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Surgeons and anaesthetists are involved in Pain Medicine, as they have a responsibility to contribute to postoperative pain management and are often consulted about longer-term pain problems as well. A large component of persistent pain after surgery can be defined as neuropathic pain (NP). Nerves are injured during surgery and pain can persist after the surgical wound has healed. ⋯ The aim of this article was to appraise the prevention, diagnostic work-up, the physical and particularly the pharmacological management of post-surgical NP and to provide a glimpse of advances in the field. It is a practical approach to post-surgical NP for all surgeons and anaesthetists. The take-home message is that prevention is better than waiting for post-surgical NP to become persistent.