Order this document
Anesth Analg 2002 Jul;95(1):151-7
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Goteborg University, Goteborg.
[Medline record in process]
In this study, we evaluated the reliability of a newly developed method for pain assessment, which is based on perceptual matching by Pain Matcher(R), Cefar Medical AB, Lund, Sweden, during minor gynecological surgery. In addition, the responsiveness to two different anesthetic methods-electro-acupuncture or a fast-acting opiate, alfentanil, both in combination with a paracervical block-was estimated by using Pain Matcher and visual analog scale (VAS) assessments before and 2 h after surgery. Two hundred-twenty-three women (aged 22-38 yr) participated. The results show that Pain Matcher is a reliable method for pain assessments, with lack of random individual disagreement and with no statistical evidence of systematic disagreement in position or in concentration. The augmented rank-order coefficient (r(a)) values were excellent (0.95-1.00). When scales were used to detect true changes over time, there was no clear indication of responsiveness, mostly because of statistically significant random individual changes. However, the individual changes were much smaller for magnitude matching than for VAS. In conclusion, we would recommend the use of perceptual matching by Pain Matcher for pain assessment, because in this study it was a reliable and powerful in test-retest situations and had smaller individual changes than VAS after intervention. The Pain Matcher procedure was well accepted by the patients, and the results suggest that it may be useful when evaluating acute pre- and postoperative pain. IMPLICATIONS: We evaluated a new instrument for pain assessment. Our results show that this method is highly reliable, is well tolerated by the patients, is reported to be easy to use, and may be useful when evaluating acute pre- and postoperative pain.
PMID: 12088960, UI: 22083386
Other Formats:
Br J Anaesth 2002 Apr;88(4):520-6
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Cork University Hospital and National University of Ireland, Republic of Ireland.
BACKGROUND: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the safety and analgesic efficacy of perioperative dexketoprofen were evaluated. METHODS: Thirty ASA I or II patients undergoing elective hip arthroplasty were randomized to one of two groups. One group (D) received dexketoprofen 25 mg tds for 24 h before and 48 h after surgery; the second group (P) received placebo tablets at equivalent times. Hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine (17.5 mg if greater than 70 kg and 15 mg if less than 70 kg) and preservative-free morphine (0.6 mg) were administered intrathecally. Postoperatively, PCA was provided (bolus morphine sulphate 1 mg; lockout 5 min; no continuous infusion). RESULTS: The two groups were similar in terms of age, gender, weight, height, ASA class, duration of operation, and level of sensory block on arrival to the recovery room. Groups were also similar in terms of blood loss, transfusion requirements, ventilatory frequency, and haemodynamic variables. According to visual analogue pain scores patients in group D experienced less pain at 15 h (P=0.02) postoperatively. Cumulative morphine consumption was also less in group D compared with group P at 6 (0.06 (0.2) vs 0.85 (1.4) mg, P=0.04) and 48 h postoperatively (10.1 (8) vs 26.2 (20) mg, P<0.01). Plasma interleukin 6 concentrations increased postoperatively to a significantly lesser extent in group D than in group P (P=0.02). Nausea and vomiting were less (P<0.01) in group D compared with group P at 18 h postoperatively. Sedation scores were less (P=0.03) in group D. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative administration of dexketoprofen 25 mg 8 hourly markedly improves analgesia and decreases opioid requirements (and associated adverse effects) following hip arthroplasty. It appears that this regimen decreases the postoperative pro-inflammatory response.
Publication Types:
PMID: 12066728, UI: 22061545
JAMA 2002 Jun 19;287(23):3130-2
PMID: 12069677, UI: 22065691
JAMA 2002 Jun 19;287(23):3087-95
Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, PO Box 17969, Durham, NC 27715, USA. newby001@mc.duke.edu
CONTEXT: The secondary prevention benefit of therapy with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) has been clearly demonstrated; however, the role of early initiation of statins after acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of early statin initiation (< or = 7 days) after ACS with 90-day and 1-year outcomes. DESIGN: Observational cohort from databases of 2 randomized clinical trials, SYMPHONY and 2nd SYMPHONY. SETTING: Nine hundred thirty-one clinical centers in 37 countries. PATIENTS: A total of 12,365 ACS patients randomized from August 1997 to August 1999 who were not taking statins prior to the index ACS and who either started statin therapy early (median, 2.0 [interquartile range, 1.0-3.1] days after ACS; n = 3952) or survived more than 5 days after ACS and never received statin therapy (n = 8413). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ninety-day incidence of death; death or myocardial infarction (MI); and death, MI, or severe recurrent ischemia; as well as 1-year incidence of death. RESULTS: Ninety-day and 1-year unadjusted mortality comparison suggested early statin benefit (1.2% for early statins vs 2.1% for no statins; hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-0.81 for 90-day comparisons and 2.3% for early statins vs 4.4% for no statins; HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.40-0.68 for 1-year comparison). However, no benefit was evident for 90-day death or MI (6.5% vs 6.9%; HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.82-1.11) or death, MI, or severe recurrent ischemia (9.2% vs 8.9%; HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.92-1.18). After propensity and covariate adjustment, there were no 90-day or 1-year differences between the early-statin group and the no-statin group. The 90-day adjusted HR for death was 1.08 (95% CI, 0.75-1.56); for death or MI, 1.08 (95% CI, 0.91-1.29); and for death, MI, or severe recurrent ischemia, 1.15 (95% CI, 0.99-1.34). One-year mortality-adjusted HR was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.73-1.33). Among 2711 patients with core laboratory lipid analysis, early statin was associated with higher adjusted risk for death or death or MI at cholesterol levels below treatment guidelines but was more favorable at higher levels. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, there was no relationship between early initiation of statin therapy and improved outcomes although our subset analysis suggests that outcomes after early statin initiation may vary with cholesterol levels. Confirmation of early treatment effects of statins on outcomes awaits the results of adequately powered randomized clinical trials.
PMID: 12069671, UI: 22065685
Spine 2002 Jun 1;27(11):1230-1
PMID: 12045522, UI: 22041331
Spine 2002 Jun 1;27(11):1168-75
Emory Spine Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
STUDY DESIGN: Matched patient cohorts using retrospective chart and radiographic review with independent clinical and radiographic follow-up were reviewed. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of multilevel corpectomy and laminoplasty using an independent matched-cohort analysis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The treatment of choice for multilevel cervical myelopathy remains a matter of investigation. For the decompression of three or more motion segments, multilevel corpectomy and laminoplasty have proven effective while avoiding the pitfalls of laminectomy. Direct clinical comparisons of these two procedures are few in number and are limited by the heterogeneity in their patient groups. METHODS: Medical records of all patients treated for multilevel cervical myelopathy with either multilevel corpectomy or laminoplasty between 1994 and 1999 at the Emory Spine Center were reviewed. From a pool of 38 patients meeting stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 patients who underwent multilevel corpectomy were blindly matched with 13 patients who underwent laminoplasty based on known prognostic criteria. A single physician independently evaluated each patient and their radiographs at their latest follow-up appointment. RESULTS: The cohorts were well matched by age, duration of symptoms, severity of myelopathy (Nurick grade), and preoperative sagittal alignment (C2-C7). Mean operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay were nearly identical. The mean follow-up for multilevel corpectomy and laminoplasty were 49 and 40 months, respectively. Improvement in function averaged 1.6 Nurick grades after laminoplasty and 0.9 grades after multilevel corpectomy (P > 0.05). Subjective improvements in strength, dexterity, sensation, pain, and gait were similar for the two operations. The prevalence of axial discomfort at the latest follow-up was the same for each cohort, but the analgesic requirements tended to be greater for patients who underwent multilevel corpectomy. Sagittal motion from C2 to C7 decreased by 57% after multilevel corpectomy and by 38% after laminoplasty. One complication (C6-C7 herniated nucleus pulposus [HNP] requiring anterior discetomy with fusion) occurred in the laminoplasty group. Multilevel corpectomy complications included progression of myelopathy, nonunion, persistent dysphagia, persistent dysphonia, and subjacent motion segment ankylosis. CONCLUSIONS: Both multilevel corpectomy and laminoplasty reliably arrest myelopathic progression in multilevel cervical myelopathy and can lead to significant neurologic recovery and pain reduction in a majority of patients. Surprisingly, the laminoplasty cohort tended to require less pain medication at final follow-up than did the multilevel corpectomy cohort. Given this and the higher prevalence of complications among multilevel corpectomy patients, it is believed that laminoplasty may be the preferred method of treatment for multilevel cervical myelopathy in the absence of preoperative kyphosis.
PMID: 12045513, UI: 22041322
the above reports in Macintosh PC UNIX Text HTML format documents on this page through Loansome Doc