Articles: patients.
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There is no uniform etiology of cancer pain. It is essential to understand the pathogenesis of pain as far as possible before a therapeutic modality can be conceived. The anatomical relation of the painproducing lesion to the site of pain perception should be clear (local, projected and referred pain). ⋯ Due consideration is given to neuroleptics and antidepressive drugs. Information about hormones (corticosteroids, calcitonin a. o.) in cancer pain therapy conclude this survey. Enormous differences of morphine use (Austria: 0.66 kg vs Denmark 16.59 kg per million people per year) indicate that there is a great demand for further professional education in this field.
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Critical care medicine · Apr 1988
Comparative StudyPatient selection for intensive care: a comparison of New Zealand and United States hospitals.
To examine how the use of intensive care varies, we compared 5,030 adult ICU admissions in 13 U. S. hospitals with 1,005 patients in two New Zealand (N. Z.) hospitals. ⋯ Additional outcome comparisons between acutely ill patients treated in the U. S. and N. Z. could help refine ICU selection criteria and improve the precision of clinical decision-making.
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In Western industrial countries, low back pain is one of the most frequent causes of illness. Between the 4th and 5th decades of life approximately 80% of adults complain of low back pain, lasting for fairly long periods. About 10% of this population must undergo disc surgery once during life. ⋯ CT control examinations showed clear regression in the extent of disc herniation in 15 patients, in 18 a moderate decrease, and in 9 cases the CT findings had not changed. A favorable tendency towards regression was observed in disc herniations at the level of L5-S1 and in cases showing sequestration of the disc. Herniations of the disc at higher levels between L4-5 and L3-4 or a lateral herniation, reaching the intervertebral foramen, showed on unfavorable prognosis.
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Systemic application of analgesics is still the most frequently used method of postoperative relief of pain. However, neither intermittent intramuscular nor intermittent intravenous application can provide the patient with a continuous level of analgesia. Lipid-soluble analgesics or those with polar binding that are rapidly metabolized demonstrate an rapid effectiveness. ⋯ After an initial bolus injection, the continuous infusion of an analgesic is guaranteed and may be completed by the patient with several bolus injections. PCA requires careful monitoring. We suggest that a special analgesia team to take care of the patient in special analgesia units might be appropriate in the future.
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The relationship between the age and the spread of analgesia from different epidural anesthetic doses was examined by studying analgesic dose responses in cervical epidural analgesia. Two different anesthetic doses (5 ml or 10 ml) of 2% mepivacaine were injected into the cervical epidural space at a constant pressure (80 mmHg) using an intravenous apparatus, and the spread of analgesia to pinprick was assessed. The significant correlation was found between the patient's age and the number of spinal segments blocked (5 ml : r = 0.8498, P < 0.01, 10 ml : r = 0.5988, P < 0.01). ⋯ The analgesic dose-response relation in patients over 60 years of age differed from that in patients under 39 years of age and doubling the epidural dose did not double the number of spinal segments blocked. Progressively more extensive analgesia was obtained from a given dose of local anesthetic with advancing age. It was difficult to limit the extent of analgesia by injecting a smaller dose of local anaesthetic in the elderly.