Articles: treatment.
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Herpes zoster neuralgia and post-zoster neuralgia (PZN) are common disabling pain syndromes. While pain from acute herpes zoster is self-limited in most cases, as pain may disappear without treatment, post-zoster neuralgia is difficult to manage. Pathological findings in acute herpes zoster include infiltration of ganglia, demyelinization and loss of axons; yet the pathogenesis of pain remains largely unknown. ⋯ The same is true for specific zoster hyperimmunoglobulins and non-specific immunoglobulins; however, there are no definite results. In the future, controlled, double-blind studies on the effect of therapeutic measures in preventing postzosteric neuralgia need to be conducted. So far, the positive effect of sympathetic blocks in preventing the late pain complications of herpes zoster can only be suggested and recommended based on subjective experience.
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The analgesic effect of acupuncture in chronic gonarthrosis pain was studied in a placebocontrolled trial completed by 97 patients. Each patient was treated twice a week, receiving 10 acupuncture treatments in all. Before and after tee course of treatment all patients were examined by an unbiased independent examiner and the overall pain score was measured over 10 days using VAS scales; functional parameters (resilience) were measured with a modified Lysholm questionnaire. ⋯ After ten treatments the overall reduction in pain score was 47.5% in the verum group (follow-up 48.2%), and 26.1% in the placebo group (follow-up 26.1%). The results are statistically significant (P<0.05); they show that in gonarthrosis pain the analgesic effect of verum acupuncture exceeds that of placebo acupuncture. Measurement of the functional parameters according to the Lysholm score showed no significant change.
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A review of the literature suggests that patients with tension headache do not differ from normals as much as from each other in psychological traits. The aim of the present study was to identify psychological subtypes of tension headache patients. ⋯ The results are discussed with reference to the literature and to indications for psychological treatment interventions.
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Trans. R. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. · Mar 1994
Anaemia, blood transfusion practices, HIV and mortality among women of reproductive age in western Kenya.
Severe anaemia among women in sub-Saharan Africa is frequently treated with blood transfusions. The risk of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) through blood products has led to a re-evaluation of the indications for transfusions. Prospective surveillance of women admitted to a district hospital in western Kenya was conducted from 1 December 1990 to 31 July 1991, for haemoglobin (Hb) transfusion status, and outcome. ⋯ Decreased mortality rates in hospital were observed with increasing Hb values (OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.19, 0.98), but blood transfusions did not improve survival in hospital (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 0.22, 11.03). The attributable mortality due to HIV infection and severe anaemia was 75% and 31%, respectively. Maternal/child health care services must include prevention strategies for HIV transmission and the prevention, recognition, and treatment of severe anaemia.
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Trop. Med. Parasitol. · Mar 1994
Treatment of malaria fever episodes among children in Malawi: results of a KAP survey.
Caretakers of children (< 10 years of age) were questioned about management of pediatric malarial fever episodes in a nation-wide knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey conducted in Malawi. A total of 1,531 households in 30 randomly selected clusters of 51 households each were sampled and interviewed. Overall 557 caretakers reported a fever in their child in the previous 2 weeks; 43%-judged the illness as severe. ⋯ Optimal therapy (administration of an antimalarial promptly and at the proper dosage) was received by only 7% of febrile children. Children taken to clinic were twice as likely to receive optimal therapy as were non-attenders. Identification of critical points in the optimal therapy algorithm and characteristics of caretakers linked with sub-optimal therapy may help malaria control programs target specific groups and health education messages to improve treatment of malaria fever episodes.