Articles: treatment.
-
Transforaminal epidural steroid injection is one of the commonly employed modalities of treatment in managing nerve root pain. However, there have been no controlled prospective evaluations of epidural and nerve root contrast distribution patterns and other aspects of fluoroscopically directed lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections. ⋯ Lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections, performed under fluoroscopic visualization, provide excellent nerve root filling and ventral epidural filling patterns. However, unrecognized intravascular needle placement with negative flashback or aspiration was noted in 5% of the procedures.
-
Respiratory viral infections, also known as the common cold, are the most common infections in humans. Despite their benign nature, they are a major cause of morbidity and mortality on a worldwide basis. Several viruses have been associated with such illness, of which rhinovirus is the most common. ⋯ Therefore, antiviral treatment alone may not be able to prevent these events. The optimal use of such agents also requires earlier initiation; therefore, it is important to develop accurate and rapid diagnostic techniques for respiratory viruses. Before any reliable and effective treatment is available, symptomatic therapies may remain the only possible choice of management.
-
Familiarity with the appearance and habitat of venomous sea creatures, the location of their stinging apparatus, and surveillance of population concentrations within recreational waters are essential in avoiding envenomations. Compared with the thermo-stable low molecular weighted ingestible seafood toxins, venomous toxins are often large molecular weight proteins and many are heat labile, which provides opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Heat therapy may denature the toxins, and provide immediate relief of pain in coelenterate and venomous fish envenomations. ⋯ Supportive treatment includes attention to cardiopulmonary resuscitation and intubation. Exposure to Pfeisteria may result in cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Treatment with cholestyramine may be helpful in binding the toxin and improve recovery.
-
To review methods of quantifying human cerebral autoregulation in health and disease. ⋯ Cerebral autoregulation is impaired with brain injury with cerebral blood flow often becoming pressure-passive. The monitoring and treatment of autoregulatory failure is limited and usually directed at maintaining systemic blood pressure with the effectiveness of this strategy often being unknown.
-
Individual patient meta-analysis to determine the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of single-dose rofecoxib in acute postoperative pain. ⋯ Single-dose rofecoxib 50 mg is an effective treatment with long-lasting analgesia and few adverse effects in dental pain. More information is required to confirm efficacy in postsurgical pain.