The Clinical journal of pain
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A pilot study examining topical amitriptyline, ketamine, and a combination of both in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
The involvement of ongoing peripheral activity in the generation of nociceptive input in neuropathic pain suggests that topical drug delivery may be useful as a treatment strategy. This is a pilot study providing initial information regarding the use of novel topical preparations containing amitriptyline (AMI), ketamine (KET), and a combination of both in the treatment of neuropathic pain. ⋯ This pilot study demonstrated a lack of effect for all treatments in the 2 day double blind placebo controlled trial, followed by analgesia in an open label trial in a subgroup of subjects who chose to use the combination cream for 7 days. Blood analysis revealed no significant systemic absorption of either agent after 7 days of treatment, and creams were well tolerated. A larger scale randomized trial over a longer interval is warranted to examine further effects observed in the open label trial.
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Multicenter Study
Rapid improvement in pain management: the Veterans Health Administration and the institute for healthcare improvement collaborative.
Poor pain management persists in health care. Although common practice errors in pain management have been identified and standards and guidelines for pain management have been published, improvement has been modest. With the goal of rapid improvement in pain management, a joint Collaborative (Veterans Health Administration and Institute for Healthcare Improvement) was conducted from May 2000 to January 2001. ⋯ Significant progress toward the target goals was reported during the Collaborative period. This improvement needs to be viewed in the context of a VHA system-wide effort to improve pain management. Data suggest that a program of team formation, goal identification, testing and adaptation of recommended system changes, sharing and feedback of process and outcome information can produce significant change in pain management in a major health care organization.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
What is a meaningful pain reduction in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1?
To investigate the degree of pain reduction in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS 1) that can be defined as "successful." ⋯ Relative pain reduction of 50% or more and an absolute pain reduction of at least 3 cm on the VAS are accurate in predicting a successful pain reduction after a given treatment.
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Physicians and other healthcare professionals may often be faced with the need to change opioids during the course of a patient's opioid analgesic care due to a number of clinical reasons. The act of converting opioid analgesics, for many physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, who do not receive adequate training, remains a challenging and often uncomfortable aspect of pain treatment. Part of the challenge clinicians face is secondary to the relatively weak literature evidence base that exists to support the equianalgesic ratios provided in textbooks, journals, and other medical resources. ⋯ The purpose of this paper is to provide the clinician with an approach for dealing with the conversion between opioid analgesics that is standardized, yet allows for individualized results to meet unique patient needs. We present a 5-step process as a guide for clinicians faced with the need to change a patient's opioid regimen. This approach may help to build a comfort level when dealing with the clinical challenges of converting from one opioid to another.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Construct validity of the parents' postoperative pain measure.
Pain assessment can be a challenging task for parents, who increasingly provide the care for their children after surgery. This research provides evidence of the construct validity of the Parents' Postoperative Pain Measure (PPPM), a 15-item behavioral scale. ⋯ The results of these studies provide further support for the construct validity of the PPPM and confirm that the measure is a valid pain assessment tool for use by parents at home following children's surgeries.