Articles: chronic.
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Chronic back pain is often a result of coexisting pathologies; secondary causes of pain can become more apparent sources of pain once the primary pathology has been addressed. The objective of our study was to determine if there is an increase in diagnosis of Sacroiliac joint pain following a Lumbar Rhizotomy. A list of patients who underwent Lumbar Radiofrequency during a 6-month period in our clinic was generated. ⋯ We infer that there is a significant increase in the diagnosis of Sacroiliac joint syndrome following a Lumbar Rhizotomy, potentially due to unmasking of a preexisting condition. In patients presenting with persistent back pain after Lumbar Rhizotomy, the clinician must have a high degree of suspicion for latent Sacroiliac joint pain prior to attributing the pain to block failure. It would be prudent to use >80% relief of pain after a diagnostic medial branch block as a diagnostic criterion for facetogenic pain rather than the currently accepted >50% in order to minimize unmasking of preexisting subclinical pain from the SI joint.
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Asthma and COPD are common airway diseases. Individuals with overlapping asthma and COPD experience increased health impairment and severe disease exacerbations. Efficacious treatment options are required for this population. Omalizumab (anti-IgE) therapy is effective in patients with severe persistent asthma, but limited data are available on efficacy in populations with overlapping asthma and COPD. ⋯ Our study suggests that omalizumab improves asthma control and health-related quality of life in individuals with severe allergic asthma and overlapping COPD. These findings provide real-world efficacy data for this patient population and suggest that omalizumab is useful in the management of severe asthma with COPD overlap.
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The quadratus lumborum blockade was described by R. Blanco in its two approaches (I and II). The local anesthetic deposition in this location can provide blockade to T6-L1 dermatomes. We performed this fascia blockade guided by ultrasound for treating a chronic neuropathic pain in the abdominal wall. ⋯ We consider that performing the quadratus lumborum block type II was an important analgesic option in the treatment of a patient with chronic pain after abdominal hernia repair, emphasizing the effects of local anesthetic spread to the thoracic paravertebral space. The technique has proven to be safe and well tolerated. The publication of more clinical cases reporting the effectiveness of this blockade for chronic pain is desirable.
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Chronic postsurgical pain impacts most amputees, with more than half experiencing neuralgic residual limb pain. The transition from normal acute postamputation pain to chronic residual limb pain likely involves both peripheral and central inflammatory mechanisms. As part of the Veterans Integrated Pain Evaluation Research study, we investigated links between systemic inflammatory mediator levels and chronic residual limb pain. ⋯ Significant associations between catastrophizing and residual limb pain intensity were partially mediated by TNF-α, TNF- β, SAA, and ICAM-1 levels. Results suggest that chronic postamputation residual limb pain is associated with excessive inflammatory response to injury or to inadequate resolution of the postinjury inflammatory state. Impact of pain catastrophizing on residual limb pain may be because of part to common underlying inflammatory mechanisms.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jan 2017
Outpatient therapeutic chronic opioid consumption in Italy. A one-year survey.
In Italy since the 38/2010 law concerning Palliative Care and pain therapy has been promulgated, the consumption of opioids started increasing. However, despite the availability of a large amount of data regarding opioid prescription, a database including all patients on chronic opioid therapy does not yet exist. ⋯ Relatively to MED, We found that in Italy chronic cancer pain patients receive doses similar to patients with cancer pain in other Literature reports, whereas patients with chronic non-cancer pain received lower dosages.