Articles: analgesics.
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Nonnarcotic analgesics and tricyclic antidepressants for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain.
Chronic nonmalignant pain is often characterized by multiple treatment failures, a pattern of maladaptive behavior, and depression. Often there is a history of inappropriate and excessive use of medications for pain. Prior and ongoing use of narcotics and sedatives acts to compound and aggravate the chronic pain syndrome. ⋯ Nonnarcotic analgesics, TCAs, and NSAIDs are seldom effective by themselves in resolving the pain and distress of patients with chronic nonmalignant pain. This is particularly true when maladaptive behavior coexists. A comprehensive multimodal pain management program encompassing additional pain-relieving strategies and behavior-modifying techniques should be considered and utilized in conjunction with medication.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Apr 1991
Postoperative patient-controlled analgesia with sufentanil: analgesic efficacy and minimum effective concentrations.
Sufentanil has so far seldom been used for intravenous postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), and the resulting serum concentrations have not yet been determined. Forty ASA I-III patients recovering from major gynecological operations were investigated to evaluate analgesic efficacy, side effects, patient acceptance and threshold concentrations of sufentanil in serum during the early postoperative period, using the On-Demand Analgesia Computer (ODAC). Following an individualized intravenous loading dose of 19.1 +/- 35.7 micrograms (mean +/- 1 s.d.), sufentanil demand doses were 6 micrograms with a concurrent infusion of 1.15 micrograms/h and a maximum hourly dose of 40 micrograms/h; the lockout time was set to 1 min. ⋯ Intraindividual MEC variability was slightly lower than intersubject variability (76.0 vs. 84.8%). It is concluded that sufentanil is suitable for postoperative PCA. To get into the therapeutic window for analgesia, a serum sufentanil concentration of more than 0.03 ng/ml seems to be necessary.
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Journal of anesthesia · Apr 1991
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEvaluation of alkalinized lidocaine solution in brachial plexus blockade.
The effect of alkalinization of lidocaine solution in brachial plexus blockade was evaluated in a double blind study. Commercial 1.5% lidocaine with epinephrine 1 : 200,000 (pH 5.72) was compared with an alkalinized solution of lidocaine (pH 7.12). 10 mg.kg(-1) of each solution was administrated by the axillary perivascular technique in 34 adult patients scheduled for elective surgery. The onset and spread of sensory blockade and the intensity of motor blockade were determined. ⋯ Also the analgesic onset in the radial and musculocutaneous nerves was significantly faster than the other two nerves ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). Furthermore, the intensity of motor blockade was greatly potentiated when alkalinized lidocaine solution was employed. There was no significant increase in plasma concentration of lidocaine in patients who were given alkalinized solution.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Caffeine as an analgesic adjuvant. A double-blind study comparing aspirin with caffeine to aspirin and placebo in patients with sore throat.
Despite its frequent clinical use in analgesic agents, caffeine has not been accepted unequivocally as an analgesic adjuvant. To evaluate this activity of caffeine, we used new study methods in a randomized controlled trial on patients with acute sore throat due to tonsillopharyngitis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of one of three treatments: 800 mg of aspirin with 64 mg of caffeine (n = 70), 800 mg of aspirin (n = 68), or placebo (n = 69). ⋯ For patients with fever, both active treatments were equally effective antipyretic agents. We conclude, therefore, that 800 mg of aspirin, given alone or with 64 mg of caffeine, is an effective analgesic and antipyretic agent. Because the aspirin-caffeine combination is significantly more effective than aspirin alone as an analgesic, we also conclude that 64 mg of caffeine is an analgesic adjuvant.
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Investigated postoperative PRN analgesic medication decisions regarding children in 113 hospital nurses, using analog stimuli. Nurses with greater narcotics knowledge and comfort indicated they would provide significantly more medication. Nurses provided more analgesics to children showing higher pain, and on the first than on the third postoperative day. ⋯ These findings were consistent across high and low pain conditions. Nurses' ratings of children's pain were also affected by seriousness and time since surgery. Findings are discussed with reference to problems of undermanagement of children's pain.