Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 2014
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDoes the Impact of the Type of Anesthesia on Outcomes Differ by Patient Age and Comorbidity Burden?
Neuraxial anesthesia may provide perioperative outcome benefits versus general anesthesia in orthopedic surgical patients. As subgroup analyses are lacking, we evaluated the influence of the type of anesthesia on outcomes in patient groups of different age and the presence of cardiopulmonary disease. ⋯ Neuraxial anesthesia is associated with decreased odds for major complications and resource utilization after joint arthroplasty for all patient groups, irrespective of age and comorbidity burden.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialEndogenous opioid inhibition of chronic low-back pain influences degree of back pain relief after morphine administration.
Factors underlying differential responsiveness to opioid analgesic medications used in chronic pain management are poorly understood. We tested whether individual differences in endogenous opioid inhibition of chronic low-back pain were associated with the magnitude of acute reductions in back pain ratings after morphine administration. ⋯ Morphine appears to provide better acute relief of chronic back pain in individuals with lower natural opioidergic inhibition of chronic pain intensity. Possible implications for personalized medicine are discussed.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 2014
Locally Injected Dexmedetomidine Induces Vasoconstriction via Peripheral α-2A Adrenoceptor Subtype in Guinea Pigs.
Recent research shows that locally injected dexmedetomidine enhances the local anesthetic potency of lidocaine via the α-2A adrenoceptor subtype in guinea pigs. However, little is known about the effect of locally injected dexmedetomidine on the peripheral vascular response. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of locally injected dexmedetomidine on the peripheral vascular response, measuring skin blood flow in the injected area in guinea pigs. ⋯ The results reveal that locally injected dexmedetomidine at a concentration of 1 μM induced peripheral vasoconstriction without a systemic cardiovascular response via the peripheral α-2A adrenoceptor subtype.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 2014
Case ReportsPneumothorax After Ultrasound-Guided Supraclavicular Block: Presenting Features, Risk, and Related Training.
Presenting features and estimate of risk of pneumothorax after ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block are discussed, along with related training strategies. ⋯ We estimate the risk of pneumothorax to be 0.4 per 1000 after ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block. We recommend specific training strategies for needle visualization for this technique to reduce the risk of pneumothorax.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialTreatment of Postmastectomy Pain With Ambulatory Continuous Paravertebral Nerve Blocks: A Randomized, Triple-Masked, Placebo-Controlled Study.
We aimed to determine with this randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled study if benefits are afforded by adding a multiple-day, ambulatory, continuous ropivacaine paravertebral nerve block to a single-injection ropivacaine paravertebral block after mastectomy. ⋯ After mastectomy, adding a multiple-day, ambulatory, continuous ropivacaine infusion to a single-injection ropivacaine paravertebral nerve block results in improved analgesia and less functional deficit during the infusion. However, no benefits were identified after infusion discontinuation.