The Clinical journal of pain
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Ultrasound-guided pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block is an emerging regional anesthesia technique that may provide analgesia for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasties (THA). There are clinical studies comparing this fascial plane block to other established methods; however, evidence on the actual efficacy of this block for THA continues to evolve. ⋯ Our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that PENG block provides better analgesia, measured as MME use, in the first 24 hours after THA, with no real impact on postoperative VAS scores. Despite statistical significance, the high heterogeneity across RCTs implies that PENG's benefits may not surpass the minimal clinically important difference threshold for us to recommend PENG as best practice in THA.
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Chronic pain in children and adolescents (CPCA) is widespread with an increasing prevalence. It is associated with a decreased quality of life and an increased parental work loss. Accordingly, CPCA may pose a substantial economic burden for patients, health care payers, and society. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to synthesize (1) the results of existing cost-of-illness studies (COIs) for CPCA and (2) the evidence of economic evaluations (EEs) of interventions for CPCA. ⋯ The methodology across studies was heterogeneous limiting the comparability. However, it is concluded that CPCA is associated with high overall costs, which were reduced in all EEs. From a health-economic perspective, efforts should address the prevention and early detection of CPCA followed by specialized pain treatment.
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Pain is often undertreated in older adult populations due to factors, such as insufficient continuing education and health care resources. Initiatives to increase knowledge about pain assessment and management are crucial for the incorporation of research evidence into practice. Knowledge translation (KT) studies on pain management for older adults and relevant knowledge users have been conducted; however, the wide variety of KT program formats and outcomes underscores a need to evaluate and systematically report on the relevant literature. ⋯ Patient and clinical outcomes must be a focus of future research to fully conceptualize the success of KT programs for older adult individuals. Without implementation plans, disseminated knowledge does not tend to translate effectively into practice.
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Older adults frequently experience persistent pain but are often unaware of self-management and other strategies that can help improve their condition. In a related article, we reported on pain assessment and management knowledge translation initiatives related to older adults that were targeting health professionals. In this paper, we report on initiatives targeting older adults. ⋯ Knowledge acquisition outcomes are overrepresented in the current literature compared with behavioral outcomes changes. Nonetheless, older adults report benefitting from the guidance provided in self-management programs when applying knowledge to practice. Future research is needed to better understand the facilitators and barriers to pain management changes in this population.
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Neuronavigation improves intraoperative visualization of the cranial structures, which is valuable in percutaneous surgical treatments for patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) who are refractory to pharmacotherapy or reluctant to receive open surgery. The objective of this review was to evaluate the available neuronavigation-guided percutaneous surgical treatment modalities with cannulation of foramen ovale to TN, and their relative benefits and limitations. ⋯ Neuronavigation-guided percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomies showed possible superior pain relief outcomes to that of conventional rhizotomies in TN, with the benefits of radiation reduction and lower complication development rates. The limitations of neuronavigation remain its high cost and limited availability. Higher-quality prospective studies and randomized clinical trials of neuronavigation-guided percutaneous trigeminal rhizotomy were lacking.