Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2023
ReviewIntrathecal drug delivery in the management of chronic pain.
Targeted intrathecal drug delivery (TIDD) has the objective of bringing the drug(s) close to the receptors influencing pain modulation, and thus reducing the dose and the side effects. Intrathecal drug delivery knew its real start with the development of permanent implantation of intrathecal and epidural catheters, combined with internal or external ports, reservoirs, and programmable pumps. TIDD is a valuable treatment for patients with cancer suffering refractory pain. ⋯ Only two drugs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for TIDD administration for chronic pain: morphine and ziconotide as monotherapy. In pain management, off-label use of medication and combination therapy is often reported. The specific action of the intrathecal drugs, the efficacy and safety, is described, as well as the modalities for trialing intrathecal drug delivery and the implantation methods.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2023
ReviewContinuous spinal technique in surgery and obstetrics.
Continuous Spinal Anaesthesia (CSA) technique has all the advantages of single-shot spinal anaesthesia with the added benefit of prolonging the duration of anaesthesia. CSA has been used as a primary method of anaesthesia as an alternative to general anaesthesia in high-risk and elderly patients for various elective and emergency surgical procedures involving the abdomen, lower limbs, and vascular surgeries. ⋯ This article includes a description of CSA technique compared to other contemporary central neuraxial blocks. It also discusses the perioperative applications of CSA for different surgical and obstetrics procedures, advantages, disadvantages, complications, problems, and pointers on how to perform the technique safely.