Pain physician
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the Analgesic Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block, Paravertebral Block and Quadratus Lumborum Block for Pelvi-ureteric Surgeries: A Randomized Double-Blind, Noninferiority Trial.
Effective postoperative analgesia enhances the patient's comfort and facilitates early mobilization and recovery. ⋯ In pelvi-ureteric surgeries, the ESPB, TPVB, and QLB provided comparable intraoperative and postoperative analgesia, patient satisfaction, and postoperative complications, but the ESPB was performed more quickly. Therefore, we recommend the ESPB as a routine regional anesthetic technique.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Efficacy of Higher-Voltage Long-Duration Pulsed Radiofrequency for Spinal Zoster-Associated Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
High-voltage (65 V) long-duration pulsed radiofrequency (HL-PRF) is an effective method for managing zoster-associated pain (ZAP), though the limited efficacy of and high recurrence rates associated with the procedure present concerns. ⋯ Using higher voltage in original HL-PRF treatments enhances pain relief, quality of life, and emotional well-being, in addition to reducing medication dependence. Multiple sessions might be preferable to a single treatment, with no additional cost or safety risks. Larger scale, long-term studies are needed to confirm these findings and guide clinical practice.
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The use of facet joint interventions for spinal pain management experienced rapid growth between 2000 and 2010, with an annual increase of 14.2%. However, this trend slowed significantly from 2010 to 2019, with a reduced growth rate of just 2.9% annually. A more recent analysis highlighted a steep decline in facet joint interventions and sacroiliac joint injections, with an overall decrease of 33.2% and an annual decline rate of 12% per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries between 2019 and 2022. ⋯ This retrospective analysis reveals a substantial decline in facet joint intervention episodes, with an overall decrease of 21.2% per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries and an annual decline rate of 7.6% for episodes from 2019 to 2022.
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The analysis of epidural procedure utilization has revealed several notable trends over recent years. Utilization increased significantly until 2004, then rose minimally until 2011, followed by gradual declines up to 2019 in the Medicare population. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a marked 19% decline in usage from 2019 to 2020. Additionally, recent studies of interventional pain management techniques showed a 28.9% reduction in use from 2019 to 2022, leading to an average annual decline of 10.9%. ⋯ This two-decade analysis indicates significant shifts in epidural procedure utilization, with steady increases until 2010, followed by a general decline affected by COVID-19 and other contributing factors. An approximate 24% decline in epidural procedure visits for chronic spinal pain management was noted from 2019 to 2022.