Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 2015
Review Case ReportsThe parturient with implanted spinal cord stimulator: management and review of the literature.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an approved treatment for complex regional pain syndrome and other chronic pain conditions. These devices enable women with chronic pain to maintain relatively normal lives, with some encountering pregnancy. Use of previously implanted SCS systems in pregnant women is considered controversial due to lack of long-term prospective studies evaluating both maternal and fetal safety. ⋯ Management approaches and outcomes in our patients, as well as those previously reported are discussed within this article. Definitive conclusions cannot be drawn from this small cohort. We believe that management of a parturient with an implanted SCS requires careful planning between all peripartum physicians.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 2015
ReviewTales From the Wild West of US Drug Pricing: The Case of Intravenous Acetaminophen.
This article aims to discuss and provide insight into the effects of the increased use and price (from $12.43 to $35.40 in 2014) of intravenous acetaminophen, which has rapidly gained acceptance in the field of perioperative medicine. Overall use and characteristics are described for selected surgeries with absolute use particularly high in orthopedic surgeries associated with substantial costs (up to an additional $160,000 per year per hospital for just orthopedic use). The availability of large-scale data on costs and use of intravenous acetaminophen in the United States will greatly benefit the ongoing discussions on its place in current practice.