The Practitioner
-
Inappropriate attendances at Accident and Emergency departments is a problem affecting all such services around the UK. Different approaches have been and are being tried. We report the results of a detailed study of this subject and discuss the main cause of the abuse of this facility.
-
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is divided into two types. Type I occurs without obvious nerve injury. In type II, a peripheral nerve injury is present, although pain may not be limited to the distribution of that nerve. ⋯ Aggressive treatment in the early stages improves prognosis. Many cases, especially those with relatively minor symptoms, will resolve spontaneously. Patients who are symptomatically deteriorating, despite regular analgesia, neuropathic agents and physiotherapy, should be referred to a specialist.