New antidepressants in the treatment of neuropathic pain. A review.

Before 1980s, tricyclics (TCAs) were considered, between antidepressants, the standard in the treatment of different kinds of neuropathic pain, for their action on noradrenergic and serotoninergic pathways, thought the high incidence of side effects. In 1980s a new class of antidepressants has been introduced, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). We reviewed some publications, including trials comparing SSRIs with TCAs in pain management.

Multicenter trial comparing tramadol and morphine for pain after abdominal surgery.

Seventy patients (40 male, 30 female), mean (SD) age 60.8 +/- 13.7 years were treated with parenteral morphine (10 mg/1 ml ampul) or tramadol (100 mg/2 ml ampul) to verify their analgesic effects in pain following abdominal surgery.

[Postoperative intravenous analgesia].

The authors report the results of two clinical studies on postoperative pain relief with PCA. In the first clinical study 44 patients, undergoing gynecologic surgery, were assigned at random to two groups. The first was treated by PCA (infusor Baxter) with morphine i.

Acute respiratory effects of sublingual buprenorphine: comparison with intramuscular morphine.

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo study, the respiratory effects of a single dose of sublingual buprenorphine (0.4 mg) were examined and compared with those induced by one dose of intramuscular morphine (10 mg) in a population of women, aged 25-65 years, admitted at the Hospital for Elective Surgery because of uterine fibromyomatosis. Some indices of control of breathing (P0.

[Isolated persistent left superior vena cava. Detection of cause during central venous catheterization].

The Authors report the causal discovery of isolated persistent left superior vena cava (IPLSVC) during a central venous incannulation with a Groshong's catheter, in a patient undergoing bone marrow transplant. After a short introduction about the IPLSVC ontogenesis, they stress the need for fluoroscopy during the central venous incannulation. The Authors conclude that the possibility of angiocardiography has been very helpful, in this case, for diagnosis and prognosis.