Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Feasibility of virtual reality-delivered pain psychology therapy for cancer-related neuropathic pain: a pilot randomised controlled trial.
Virtual reality-delivered psychological therapies have recently been investigated as non-pharmacological management for acute and chronic pain. However, no virtual reality pain therapy software existed that met the needs of cancer patients with neuropathic pain. We created a bespoke virtual reality-delivered pain therapy software programme to help cancer patients manage neuropathic pain incorporating guided visualisation and progressive muscle relaxation techniques, whilst minimising the risk of cybersickness in this vulnerable patient population. ⋯ The global quality of life subscale from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 was not significantly changed between groups at 1 and 3 months (intervention: -5, -8; vs. control: +3, +4). This newly created virtual reality-delivered pain therapy software programme was shown to be feasible and acceptable to cancer patients with neuropathic pain. These results will aid the design of a definitive multicentre randomised controlled trial.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomised controlled trial of the non-inferiority of erector spinae plane block vs. thoracic paravertebral block for laparoscopic nephro-ureterectomy.
Erector spinae plane block and paravertebral block can provide analgesia for abdominal surgery. It is unclear whether erector spinae block is inferior to paravertebral block. We aimed to determine whether sufentanil dose and pain intensity (11-point scale) to 24 h after erector spinae block exceeded those after paravertebral block by no more than 5 μg and 1 point, respectively. ⋯ Median (IQR [range]) pain were 1.5 (1.0-2.0 [0.0-5.3]) after erector spinae block vs. 2.0 (1.0-2.5 [0.0-6.0]) after paravertebral block, median (95% CI) difference 0.3 (0.0-0.5), erector spinae non-inferiority p < 0.001. Adverse events did not differ between groups. Erector spinae block analgesia was not inferior to paravertebral block analgesia after laparoscopic nephroureterectomy.