Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2009
ReviewRole of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists in postoperative pain management.
In recent years, hundreds of studies have examined the clinical efficacy of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists such as ketamine and dextromethorphan as an adjunct to routine postoperative pain management. The purpose of this review is to describe the detail of the study that successfully demonstrated the efficacy of NMDA receptor antagonists. ⋯ The co-administration of ketamine and morphine as a mixture is not recommended for postoperative pain relief. As an adjunct in multimodal analgesia, low-dose ketamine infusion and the administration of dextromethorphan may be able to improve postoperative pain status. Memantine exhibits the greatest potency among NMDA receptor antagonists. In future, research should consider the perioperative infusion of ketamine followed by long-term administration of memantine for the prevention of persistent pain.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2009
ReviewAcute pain management in patients with fibromyalgia and other diffuse chronic pain syndromes.
Patients with fibromyalgia are at increased risk to experience increased and prolonged postoperative pain. In this review, we will provide an overview of pathophysiological characteristics of fibromyalgia relevant for enhanced pain processing after surgery. Furthermore, we will present some potential treatment options in the perioperative period based on specific symptoms of individual fibromyalgia patients to optimize their pain management after surgery. ⋯ The perioperative pain management of patients with fibromyalgia is challenging and should include symptom-based approaches to target enhanced central sensitization and decreased inhibition in these patients as well as their psychological syndromes aiming to decrease acute and prolonged pain after surgery.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Aug 2009
ReviewOrganizational prerequisites for anesthesia outside the operating room.
The purpose of this review is to define the responsibility and designation of anesthesia personnel to nonoperating room location anesthesia and their education in this regard. The review will also define the safety standards, guidelines, physical environment, equipment, accreditation, the quality of care and patient and procedural selection. ⋯ Complications of anesthesia outside the operating room still persist even in American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) status I patients and in accredited facilities with board-certified physicians. The department of anesthesiology taking care of the in-hospital office-based facility has the responsibility to define safe practice standards according to the ASA guidelines regarding education, documentation, guidelines preparation, equipment, standards monitoring, collaboration with other facilities, backup for the personnel in case of emergencies and prolongation of observation of a complicated patient in the postanesthesia care unit. Office-based facilities outside the hospital should comply with all federal, state, local laws and regulations. Such precautions will enhance safety, efficiency and reliability of office-based anesthesia inside and outside the hospital.