Authors: Forbes HJ et al., Neurology 2016 Jul 5; 87:94 In a large prospective database study, increased risks were seen in older patients and those with severe immunosuppression. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) following acute herpes zoster remains a significant cause of neuropathic pain, especially in older patients. Treatment results of this severe and long-lasting pain syndrome are often […]
Read MoreAuthors: Aziz MF et al., Br J Anaesth 2016 Jul 117:118 In a study of operating room intubations with acute-angled videolaryngoscopes, “sniffing” head position, reduced mouth opening, and attending intubators were associated with prolonged intubation times. To identify predictors of difficult or prolonged intubation with hypercurved video laryngoscopes, investigators conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled […]
Read MoreAuthors: Jessica M. Booth, M.D. et al Anesthesiology published on 7 2016. Background: It is unclear whether recognition of epidural catheter failures is delayed with combined spinal epidural technique (CSE) compared to traditional epidural technique (EPID) when used for labor analgesia. The authors hypothesized that recognition of failed catheters is not delayed by CSE. Methods: Anesthetic, obstetric, and […]
Read MoreAuthors: Hagen Bomberg, M.D. et al Anesthesiology published on 7 2016 Background Catheter-related infection is a serious complication of continuous regional anesthesia. The authors tested the hypothesis that single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis is associated with a lower incidence of catheter-related infections. Methods: Our analysis was based on cases in the 25-center German Network for Regional Anesthesia database recorded between […]
Read MorePolicies discouraging the use of methadone for treating pain have apparently reduced the number of U.S. overdose deaths associated with the drug, according to findings in MMWR. Federal researchers examined changes in methadone’s distribution and illegal diversion, as well as its role in opioid-overdose deaths, for the years 2002–2014. The analysis was limited to methadone used […]
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