Publications by authors named "K Nijs"

Article Synopsis
  • This study examines the effectiveness of oral ketamine as a pain reliever after major spine surgery, noting its potential to reduce reliance on opioids, which have problematic side effects.
  • Conducted at Toronto Western Hospital, the trial was randomized and placebo-controlled involving 35 adult patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.
  • While there were no significant differences in overall recovery or pain scores between ketamine and placebo groups, those receiving ketamine used fewer opioids post-surgery and reported some benefits such as improved recovery.
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The global demand for hospital care, driven by population growth and medical advances, emphasizes the importance of optimized resource management. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to expedite patient recovery and reduce health care costs without compromising patient safety or satisfaction. Its principles have been adopted in various surgical specialties but have not fully encompassed all areas of neurosurgery, including craniotomy.

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Neurological and cardiovascular disorders are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While the effects of cardiovascular disease (CD) on the nervous system are well understood, understanding of the reciprocal relationship has only recently become clearer. Based on disability-adjusted life years, this systematic review and meta-analysis present the pooled incidence and association of CD in 4 selected common, noncommunicable neurological disorders: (1) migraine, (2) Alzheimer disease and other dementias, (3) epilepsy, and (4) head injury.

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Introduction: Lung cancer is a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with lung cancer treatment presenting a significant financial burden. The treatment landscape has recently shifted, seeing an increase in targeted- and immunotherapies. Such treatments are expensive, but estimates of the medical costs of the lung cancer treatment pathway largely predate their introduction.

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 Postcraniotomy headaches are often underestimated and undertreaded. This study aimed to identify if postoperative administration of sumatriptan after minimally invasive craniotomy for clipping an unruptured aneurysm could reduce postcraniotomy headache and improve the quality of postoperative recovery.  Tertiary care center, single-center randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

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