Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Dose-finding studies enable the successful conduct of peripheral nerve blocks by ensuring the administration of appropriate doses of local anesthetic. However, the optimal dose-finding methodology remains ambiguous. In this research methodology article, we set out to review the basic aspects pertaining to dose-response curves (graded vs quantal), the pharmacodynamic indices required by dose-finding studies, the properties of different dose-finding methods (sigmoidal dose-response curve analysis, Dixon-Mood method, Biased Coin Design, and Bayesian analysis), as well as strategies and recommendations for future research.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2014
Review Meta AnalysisUltrasound-Guided Interventional Procedures in Pain Medicine: A Review of Anatomy, Sonoanatomy, and Procedures. Part V: Knee Joint.
Ultrasound-guided injection in pain medicine is emerging as a popular technique for pain intervention. It can be applied to the intra-articular injection of the knee joint. The first objective of this review was to describe and summarize the anatomy and sonoanatomy of the knee and associated structures relevant for intra-articular injection. The second objective was to examine the feasibility, accuracy, and effectiveness of injections as well as injection techniques.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2014
ReviewPerioperative Research Fellowship: Planning, Implementation, Experience.
Perioperative outcomes research has gained widespread interest and is viewed as increasingly important among different specialties, including anesthesiology. Outcomes research studies serve to help in the adjustment of risk, allocation of resources, and formulation of hypotheses to guide future research. ⋯ This article was intended to describe the curriculum and implementation of the Perioperative Medicine and Regional Anesthesia Research Fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery. We also proposed a method to evaluate the success of a research fellowship curriculum.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2014
Review Meta AnalysisNeural Blockade for Persistent Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery.
Persistent pain after breast cancer surgery is predominantly a neuropathic pain syndrome affecting 25% to 60% of patients and related to injury of the intercostobrachial nerve, intercostal nerves, and other nerves in the region. Neural blockade can be useful for the identification of nerves involved in neuropathic pain syndromes or to be used as a treatment in its own right. ⋯ In this systematic review, we found only 7 studies (n = 135) assessing blocks directed at 3 neural structures-stellate ganglion, paravertebral plexus, and intercostal nerves-but none focusing on the intercostobrachial nerve. The quality of the studies was low and efficacy inconclusive, suggesting a need for well-designed, high-quality studies for this common clinical problem.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · May 2014
ReviewLearning and Teaching Motor Skills in Regional Anesthesia: A Different Perspective.
Existing literature on learning in regional anesthesia broadly covers the rate of skill acquisition and the structure of educational programs. A complementary body of literature spanning psychology to medical education can be found describing skill acquisition in other fields. ⋯ This review introduces a selection of these complementary educational concepts, applying them to ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia skills education. Key educational concepts presented in this article can be divided into 3 sections, namely, how residents acquire manual skills, how tutors teach, and type of feedback.