Articles: chronic.
-
Although patients may find it difficult to describe their breathing discomfort, most are able to select statements among a list to describe their experience. The primary objective of this study was to examine sensitivity and specificity of descriptors of breathing discomfort prospectively in patients with common respiratory conditions as well as those patients who had refractory dyspnea. ⋯ Although no descriptor achieved satisfactory sensitivity and specificity for identifying a particular condition, chest "tightness" was unique for asthma, whereas "shallow breathing" was unique for interstitial lung disease. Affective descriptors were associated with high anxiety scores.
-
Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther · Oct 2015
Practice Guideline[Long-term administration of opioids for non-tumor pain - LONTS guideline provides an orientation].
The long-term usage of opioid analgesics (> 3 months) for chronic, non-cancer related pain is critically discussed nationally and internationally. There are indications of under- and oversupply as well as misuse of opioids in Germany, but an "opioid epidemic" such as is evident in the USA cannot be detected at present. The S3-guideline LONTS (long-term usage of opioid analgesics for non-cancer related pain)serves as an orientation to improve provision of opioids and contains statements about the available evidence, indications and contraindications of use, as well as practical recommendations for managing a long-term opioid therapy.
-
Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an immune-mediated, chronic relapsing, inflammatory disease characterized by severe attacks of optic neuritis and myelitis. ⋯ Our results revealed a lower rate of NMO IgG positivity, more severe disability in patients with NMO/neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders presenting with either transverse myelitis or late-onset NMO, and no correlation between disability and NMO IgG status.