Articles: treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Preoperative or postoperative diclofenac for laparoscopic tubal ligation.
We have compared the analgesic effects of diclofenac given before operation or immediately after operation in a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy study of 40 healthy female patients undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation. Group 1 patients received diclofenac 75 mg as a 3-ml i.m. injection 1-2 h before operation and normal saline 3 ml i.m. immediately after surgery. Group 2 patients received normal saline 3 ml i.m. before operation and diclofenac 75 mg i.m. immediately after surgery. ⋯ VRS at 1 and 3 h after operation were, respectively, (median, interquartile range) 2.2 (1.5-3.0) vs 2.7 (2.0-4.0) and 0.8 (0-1.3) vs 0.9 (0-1.5) (ns). Sixteen patients in group 1 compared with 17 in group 2 required postoperative morphine. Time to first morphine administration and dose given were, respectively, (median, interquartile range) 50.6 (39-60) min vs 35.7 (20-49) min (P = 0.1) and 9.0 (5-10) mg vs 9.5 (7.5-10) (P = 0.9).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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From 1 August 1983 to 6 June 1992, 284 patients underwent decompression of the trigeminal root in the rear part of the skull as treatment for tic douloureux. According to preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative inspection, a space-occupying process was the cause of the typical neuralgia in 13 cases (4 meningiomas, 3 epidermoid tumours, 3 acoustic neuromas and 2 trigeminal neuromas). In 271 cases (95.4%) microsurgical vascular decompression according to Jannetta was carried out. ⋯ In summary, the long-term results confirm that microsurgical vascular decompression can be offered as the method of choice for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in younger patients, and in older patients when cardiopulmonary risk factors and cerebrovascular processes can be eliminated. Alternative methods are high-frequency lesionsing of the gasserian ganglion according to Sweet and chemorhizolysis of the gasserian ganglion, but these must be restricted exclusively to the treatment of typical trigeminal neuralgia with tic douloureux. Persistent neuropathic pain caused by atraumatic or drug-induced lesion to the trigeminal nerve cannot be positively influenced either by surgical decompression or by destructive operations on the gasserian ganglion.
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In 1986 the World Health Organisation (WHO) proposed an analgesic ladder for the effective therapy of cancer pain. The three standard analgesics making up this ladder are aspirin (non-opioid), codeine (weak opioid) and morphine (strong opioid). Adjuvant drugs may be added at any level. However, before 1986 step II analgesics (weak opioids) had never been tested in cancer pain relief. ⋯ The use of the WHO guidelines "by mouth, by the clock and by the ladder" is now the mainstay of cancer pain management. Because of the guidelines' simplicity they found general acceptance and helped to establish an international pain therapy standard for worldwide use. Nevertheless, there is no scientific validation of WHO step II. In the absence of prospective controlled randomized trials additional longterm results are necessary. We need more data on the use of WHO step II and an update of the published guidelines taking account of modern sustained-release drugs. Up to now, step II of the WHO guidelines for cancer pain is not a clinical reality but at best a didactic instrument.
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Analgesic pharmacotherapy represents one of the major approaches to the treatment of cancer pain, since it is used in almost every patient. A thorough evaluation of the physical and mental status of the patient and of the pain is as necessary as a sound understanding of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the analgesics selected. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a basic 3 stage progression for the treatment of cancer pain, the "WHO Analgesic Ladder". ⋯ The most common of these is constipation; nausea, vomiting and sedation occur mostly at the start and can usually be treated effectively. The appropriate dosage, route of administration and dosage scheme of analgesics needs to be worked out for each individual patient in intensive work with the patient and a close follow-up, for years if necessary. Some analgesics may not be available in some countries, or only in specific preparations.