Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Meta Analysis
Chronic Pain in HIV-Infected Patients: Relationship to Depression, Substance Use, and Mental Health and Pain Treatment.
As the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy, HIV has become a chronic disease for most individuals in developed countries. Chronic pain is a common occurrence for HIV-infected patients and has an impact on quality of life and antiretroviral adherence. The objective of this study was to examine relationships between chronic pain and depression, substance use, mental health treatment, and pain treatment in HIV-infected patients. ⋯ Despite pharmacologic treatment, moderate-severe chronic pain and elevated depression symptoms are common among HIV-infected patients and frequently co-occur.
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Epidural blood patches (EBP) are rarely performed at the cervical levels, primarily due to fear of neurological complications such as spinal cord compression. We reviewed the literature to provide an evidence-based review of performance of cervical EBPs, with a specific focus on indication, technique, safety, and efficacy. ⋯ Our review provides Class II level of evidence that cervical EBPs are safe and effective in reliving positional headache due to CSF leak.