Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain
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Dexmedetomidine is an upcoming agent with sedative, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties. This review summarizes empirical evidence for the efficacy of dexmedetomidine as a sole sedative agent, and its effectiveness for small diagnostic and therapeutic procedure, in comparison with other frequently used sedatives. All randomized controlled trials on the effect of dexmedetomidine were reviewed. ⋯ In the adult studies, dexmedetomidine yielded significantly lower pain levels compared to the other sedatives (in 31.25% of the included studies) and significantly more patient satisfaction (68.2%). In studies on children, more favorable results concerning respiratory safety and the level of adequate sedation were found compared to the control sedatives. Implications for future studies are discussed.
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We aimed to perform the translation, cultural adaptation, and validation of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory (PBPI) for the European Portuguese language and chronic pain population. ⋯ The PBPI-P has been shown to be adequate and to have excellent reliability, internal consistency, and validity. It may contribute to a better pain assessment and is suitable for research and clinical use.
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Herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia are known to have a profound effect on the patient's quality of life, but the incidence and severity of itch and its relation with pain and quality of life in the long term are still relatively unknown. ⋯ Pain and itch are highly prevalent months after HZ. Pain caused by HZ has a large impact on quality of life, burden of illness, impact on daily life, and health care costs for these patients. The impact of itch on quality of life is relatively small.
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We aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of the linguistically validated Japanese version of the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Pain Scale (LANSS-J) as a screening tool for neuropathic pain in the clinical setting. ⋯ The LANSS-J is a valid screening tool for detecting neuropathic pain. Our results suggest that employing the original cutoff value provides high specificity, although a lower cutoff value of 10 or 11 (with its high specificity maintained) may be more beneficial when pain attributed to neuropathic mechanisms is suspected in Japanese patients.