Articles: analgesia.
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Historical Article
The history of neurosurgical procedures for the relief of pain.
Pain has been a major medical problem from the beginning of recorded history. Since the earliest medical writings, there have been innumerable procedures designed to relieve pain and its suffering. In this study, we have reviewed both the early medical writings of various civilizations and the first modern publications, to compile a history of neurosurgical procedures for the relief of pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Hypoxaemia and pain relief after lower abdominal surgery: comparison of extradural and patient-controlled analgesia.
We have examined postoperative pain in patients allocated randomly to receive extradural bolus diamorphine 3.6 mg, extradural infusion of 0.15% bupivacaine with 0.01% diamorphine or patient-controlled i.v. administration of diamorphine at a maximum rate of 1 mg per 5 min, after total abdominal hysterectomy. Extradural infusion analgesia produced the smallest pain scores from 12 to 24 h after surgery (P < 0.05). More patients in the extradural infusion group were moderately hypoxaemic (SpO2 < 90% > 12 min h-1) after operation, compared with the two other groups (P < 0.05). The group using patient-controlled analgesia received more diamorphine and suffered a greater incidence of emetic sequelae (P < 0.05).
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We review the development of the anatomical and physiological basis for nociception. We point out the ability of babies, even those who are born very prematurely, to feel pain. ⋯ A sick infant in intensive care may be particularly sensitive to the destabilizing effects of pain, and analgesics will very often be indicated in such infants. We discuss various types of analgesia suitable for infants, and doses of commonly used analgesics.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 1992
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialVentilatory effects of epidural clonidine during the first 3 hours after caesarean section.
Many authors have shown the analgesic efficacy of 150-800 micrograms of epidural clonidine in the postoperative period. Its use as an analgesic after caesarean section has recently been studied with higher dosages (400-800 micrograms). Our study aimed at assessing the analgesic and ventilatory effects of two smaller doses of epidural clonidine (150 and 300 micrograms), which were compared to the effects of 10 mg of parenteral morphine (M) during the first 3 h after caesarean section. ⋯ Arterial blood pressure decreased from 30 min after the injection to the end of the study in both epidural clonidine groups. A marked sedation was observed in patients receiving 300 micrograms of epidural clonidine and was frequently associated with snoring, obstructive apnoea and episodes of arterial oxygen desaturation. We conclude that 150 micrograms of epidural clonidine provides better and longer analgesia after caesarean section than 10 mg of parenteral morphine, and seems preferable to higher doses (300 micrograms) in this setting, since 300 micrograms of epidural clonidine may produce unacceptable respiratory obstructive disturbances.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of intrathecal, epidural, and intravenous sufentanil for labor analgesia.
A number of recent studies have suggested that the analgesic effects of highly lipid-soluble opioids are similar when these agents are administered either epidurally or intravenously. We sought to test whether the lipid-soluble opioid sufentanil was more effective when administered intrathecally than when administered epidurally or intravenously. Twenty-four women during active labor received sufentanil 10 micrograms either intrathecally (n = 9), epidurally (n = 8), or intravenously (n = 7), using a combined spinal-epidural technique. ⋯ No patient developed post-dural puncture headache. We conclude that sufentanil 10 micrograms intrathecally provides rapid and effective analgesia of 1-2-h duration during labor. Epidural and intravenous use of this dose of sufentanil did not provide evidence of satisfactory analgesia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)