Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Observational Study
Validation of the Greek Version of the DN4 Diagnostic Questionnaire for Neuropathic Pain.
The Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire (DN4) was developed by the French Neuropathic Pain Group and is a simple and objective tool, primarily designed to screen for neuropathic pain. The aim of our study is to validate the DN4 in the Greek language. ⋯ The Greek version of DN4 is a valid tool for discriminating between neuropathic and nociceptive pain conditions in daily practice.
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Several studies have documented increased cardiovascular risk factors, particularly hypercholesterolemia, in the migraine population with respect to controls. However, no studies have investigated the possible relationship between headache severity parameters and lipid serum levels. ⋯ This study shows a significant positive association between migraine frequency and intensity with total and LDL cholesterol, demonstrating for the first time a significant reduction of these lipid parameters after migraine prophylaxis. However, in view of the retrospective design of the study and the small population size, these results should be considered as preliminary, to be confirmed by future prospective controlled trials.
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Measuring HRQOL is simple, inexpensive, permits the health status to be measured over time, and is useful to compare or initiate treatments and evaluate results, facilitating homogenization in patient inclusion. ⋯ Health-related quality-of-life measures detected significant differences in outcomes in patients infected by S. aureus compared with patients infected by other microorganisms. HRQOL measures may provide useful complementary information on outcomes after acute postoperative infection.
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Case Reports
Surgical Site Infection 18 Months Following Intrathecal Pump Placement Secondary to an Asymptomatic Bowel Injury.
Surgical site infections following the implantation of intrathecal drug delivery systems typically present during the first 1 to 2 months following surgery. Surgical site infections occurring outside of this window are rare entities and require special attention to identify the source or underlying cause. In this report, we present a case of pump pocket infection 18 months following implantation due to an asymptomatic and unrecognized bowel injury associated with the catheter. This case highlights the need for a thorough evaluation in a patient with suspected infections more than 2 months after surgery to ensure adequate treatment.
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Chronic opioid analgesic use often causes opioid-induced constipation (OIC). This open-label extension study evaluated the safety and efficacy of lubiprostone, a chloride channel (ClC-2) activator, for treatment of OIC in patients with chronic noncancer pain. ⋯ Lubiprostone treatment was well tolerated and improved symptoms and signs of OIC in this 9-month, open-label study of patients with chronic noncancer pain.