Journal of clinical anesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Is magnesium sulfate effective for pain in chronic postherpetic neuralgia patients comparing with ketamine infusion therapy?
Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a frequent debilitating complication and one of the most intractable pain disorders, particularly in elderly patients. Although tricyclic antidepressants, topical capsaicin, gabapentin, and oxycodone are effective for alleviating PHN, many patients remain refractory to current therapies. Here, the analgesic effects of ketamine or magnesium for PHN were assessed in an open prospective study. ⋯ Ketamine and magnesium showed significant analgesic effects in patients with PHN.
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Clinical Trial
Identification of location of nerve catheters using pumping maneuver and M-Mode-a novel technique.
Optimum positioning of the nerve catheter is crucial for a successful nerve block. We present a novel technique for confirmation of catheter position. ⋯ Pumping maneuver and M-Mode can be additional tools in the array of modalities applied to verify proper positioning of a nerve catheter.
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In most instances, delayed emergence from anesthesia is attributed to residual anesthetic or analgesic medications. However, delayed emergence can be secondary to unusual causes and present diagnostic dilemmas. ⋯ In this review, we summarize and discuss less common and difficult to diagnose reasons for delayed emergence and present cases from our own experience or reference published case reports/case series. The goal is to draw attention to less common reasons for delayed emergence, identify patient populations that are potentially at risk and to help anesthesiologists identifying a possible cause why their patient is slow to wake up.
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The initial developmental standards for Maintenance of Certification programs proposed by the American Board of Medical Specialties included the administration of patient and peer surveys by the diplomate every 5 years. The aim of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology Program (MOCA) patient and peer surveys in a selected group of American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) diplomates. ⋯ These results suggest that threats to the validity of these surveys include distribution bias for peer surveys and response bias for patient surveys and that surveys often do not provide actionable information useful for practice improvement. Alternative approaches, such as including anesthesiologists within an integrated institutional evaluation system, could be explored to maximize the benefits of physician assessments provided by peers and patients.
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The computer-integrated patient-controlled epidural analgesia (CIPCEA) system can automatically adjust the background infusion rate during combined spinal-epidural analgesia based on the parturient's need, as labor progresses. ⋯ Low successful to total patient demand bolus ratio was the factor with the strongest association with breakthrough pain. Breakthrough pain was also associated with dysfunctional labor and poorer maternal satisfaction.