Month: March 2016

Uncategorized Published - 2 March, 2016    By - Dr Clemens
A comparison between fentanyl plus celecoxib therapy and epidural anesthesia for postoperative pain management following laparoscopic gastrectomy

Surg Today. 2015 Dec 23 AUTHORS: Shibasaki S et al PURPOSE: To clarify the efficacy of postoperative pain management following laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG), we retrospectively compared pain assessments in patients who received fentanyl plus celecoxib with those who received epidural anesthesia. METHODS: From 2011 to 2012, 55 consecutive LG patients at our institution received 48 h of […]

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Uncategorized Published - 1 March, 2016    By - Dr Clemens
New Approach to Diagnosing Low Back Pain

Serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) vary in individuals with lumbar intervertebral disc disease and biochemical profiling of circulating cytokines may assist in refining personalised diagnoses of disc diseases, according to a study published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy. Low back pain is caused by multiple triggers that present in similar ways. […]

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Uncategorized Published - 1 March, 2016    By - Dr Clemens
Dry Eye Linked to Chronic Pain Syndromes

Researchers have found a link between dry eye and chronic pain syndromes — a finding that suggests that a new paradigm is needed for diagnosis and treatment to improve patient outcomes. “Our study indicates that some patients with dry eye have corneal somatosensory pathway dysfunction and would be better described as having neuropathic ocular pain,” […]

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Uncategorized Published - 1 March, 2016    By - Dr Clemens
Methylnaltrexone for Opioid-Induced Constipation Might Also Improve Overall Survival in Advanced Cancer Patients

Methylnaltrexone, a peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor (MOR) antagonist, may play a role in slowing tumor progression, new research has found. According to the study, methylnaltrexone influenced cancer progression and prolonged survival in patients with advanced cancer, suggesting that the MOR antagonist may be an important therapeutic target. “Our data suggest that methylnaltrexone used in advanced […]

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Uncategorized Published - 1 March, 2016    By - Dr Clemens
Direct Relationship Found Between Immediate Post-op Pain In Peds and Persistent Pain

An Italian study has found a linear correlation between the presence of acute pain within the first few hours of surgery and postoperative pain persisting for as long as six months afterward. The researchers hypothesized that anesthetic technique, including regional approaches, may influence the development and prevention of persistent postoperative pain. “Our goal was to […]

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Uncategorized Published - 1 March, 2016    By - Dr Clemens
Using Examples Best When Classifying ASA Physical Status

Despite being an important part of clinical practice for more than five decades, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification system occasionally is criticized for its subjective nature, a trait that can lead to inconsistent assignments among health care professionals. This problem can be ameliorated, a recent study has found, with the use […]

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