Examination of psychological risk factors for chronic pain following cardiac surgery: protocol for a prospective observational study.

Introduction: Approximately 400 000 Americans and 36 000 Canadians undergo cardiac surgery annually, and up to 56% will develop chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). The primary aim of this study is to explore the association of pain-related beliefs and gender-based pain expectations on the development of CPSP. Secondary goals are to: (A) explore risk factors for poor functional status and patient-level cost of illness from a societal perspective up to 12 months following cardiac surgery; and (B) determine the impact of CPSP on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) borne by cardiac surgery, in addition to the incremental cost for one additional QALY gained, among those who develop CPSP compared with those who do not.

Combination of pregabalin with duloxetine for fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain and associated with sleep disturbance, depression, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. Polypharmacy is commonly used, but supportive evidence is limited. Most fibromyalgia trials focus primarily on pain reduction with monotherapy.

Combination of morphine with nortriptyline for neuropathic pain.

First-line neuropathic pain drugs, including tricyclic antidepressants, are not always effective, and opioids have been recommended as second line. This trial evaluates a nortriptyline-morphine combination, compared with each monotherapy. In this randomized, double-blind crossover trial, patients with neuropathic pain were enrolled at 1 site between January 25, 2010, and May 22, 2014, and randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio using a balanced Latin square design to receive oral nortriptyline, morphine, and their combination.

The effect of triple vs. double nonopioid therapy on postoperative pain and functional outcome after abdominal hysterectomy: a randomised double-blind control trial.

Background: Movement-evoked pain is more severe than pain at rest and is likely to interfere more with functional recovery after surgery.

Objective: To compare triple vs. double nonopioid perioperative analgesic regimens in women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy.

Cardiopulmonary bypass does not affect plasma concentration of preoperatively administered gabapentin.

Purpose: Drug effects can be unpredictable during cardiac surgery due to factors that may influence drug concentration, such as extracorporeal oxygenation and hemodilution. The primary aim of the current investigation was to determine whether plasma gabapentin concentration is altered by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: Following approval from the Research Ethics Board and written informed consent, we conducted this open-label prospective cohort investigation.