Pain physician
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Clinical Trial
Study of percutaneous lumbar decompression and treatment algorithm for patients suffering from neurogenic claudication.
Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) patients often suffer from multiple etiologies, and patient symptoms must be differentiated and identified as either neurogenic claudication, radicular pain, or both. The most common symptom associated with LSS is neurogenic claudication, which has been reported to occur in 91% to 100% of the LSS patient population. Neurogenic claudication symptoms are described as pain radiating to the lower extremities that begins and worsens as the patient ambulates. Neurogenic claudication symptoms worsen over time and can eventually result in significant life-altering functional limitations. Symptomatic LSS patients may also suffer from radicular pain, which is a persistent pain transmitted through neural pathways, and is associated with inflammation of the exiting nerve root. ⋯ In this study, the mild procedure was shown to be safe. In addition, patients experienced significant improvement in mobility and reduction of pain one year after the procedure. One-year outcomes were not significantly different from interim results, indicating that the significant improvement following treatment, occurring as early as 12 weeks, was maintained through one year. This high degree of consistency over time indicates the durability of percutaneous lumbar decompression in the treatment of neurogenic claudication in symptomatic LSS.
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Pain is one of the most common symptoms in patients suffering from advanced cancer and receiving palliative care and is often responsible for a poor quality of life. To date, there exists no published correlation between biological, measurable biomarkers and pain intensity. ⋯ Our results provide preliminary evidence of a significant correlation of pain relief in patients with cancer and at least 5 cytokines. These biomarkers may serve as the basis for development of diagnostic tools for pain assessment and could serve as potential new targets for pain control.
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This survey was undertaken to explore the variation in the functional constitution of pain clinics in Europe. In addition, we also explored the amount of training which doctors practicing pain medicine typically receive. Approximate hospital charges for common pain interventions and the source of funding were also surveyed. ⋯ Two thirds of the respondents reported the cost of 4-joint radiofrequency lumbar denervation to be less than €1,500 ($1,935). Good practice should ensure an adequate duration of training, and development of a pain faculty to ensure standards of assessments across the continent. A more detailed, large scale survey is perhaps required to map the availability of chronic pain services and understand the health economics in pain medicine across Europe.
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Case Reports
Use of eptifibatide as a bridge antiplatelet agent for intrathecal drug delivery system placement.
Use of antiplatelet agents is becoming increasingly common, and their management may require new strategies if neuroaxial techniques are to be employed in patients who will not tolerate discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy. The patient was a 46-year-old man with a past medical history significant for coronary artery disease and who had undergone 14 stents. He developed stent thrombosis (ST) while on clopidogrel. ⋯ Patients requiring antiplatelet therapy in need of neuroaxial pain management procedures present challenging problems to pain management physicians. Current guidelines from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia have not identified any bridging agent suitable for patients who may not tolerate prolonged withdrawal from their antiplatelet therapy. In this case, eptifibatide was successfully utilized to bridge a patient whose comorbid conditions necessitated continuous antiplatelet therapy without the prolonged washout common to irreversible antiplatelet agents.