The P-A-C-I-E-N-T-E Protocol: An instrument for breaking bad news adapted to the Brazilian medical reality.

Objective: There are plenty of published tools for breaking bad medical news; however, none of them is culturally appropriate to our reality or published in the Brazilian literature. This study proposes a genuinely Brazilian communication tool and evaluates its acceptance among doctors and nurses.

Method: This was a prospective study.

Preemptive Analgesia with Acupuncture Monitored by c-Fos Expression in Rats.

Pain behavior and awareness are characterized by heightened alertness and anxiety, which begin to disappear as soon as the curative process starts. The present study aimed to quantify c-fos expression in rat spinal cords and brains after a surgical stimulus and with preoperative or postoperative acupuncture. Animals were randomly divided into preoperative and postoperative groups and were then further divided into control, manual acupuncture (MA), or electroacupuncture (EA) groups.

Botucatu, Brazil: a regional community palliative care model.

The Pain Management and Palliative Care Service in the Department of Anesthesia at Botucatu Medical School, UNESP is a pioneer in Brazil. Based on an interdisciplinary team that provides specialized inpatient, ambulatory outpatient, and home care to patients in Botucatu and the surrounding region, the service is also able to provide extensive educational opportunities in pain management and palliative care for medical students, anesthesia residents, practicing anesthetists, and nurses.

Pain: current aspects on peripheral and central sensitization.

Background And Objectives: Current research has focused on the biochemical and structural plasticity of the nervous system secondary to tissue injury. The mechanisms involved in the transition from acute to chronic pain are complex and involve the interaction of receptor systems and the flow of intracellular ions, second messenger systems, and new synaptic connections. The aim of this article was to discuss the new mechanisms concerning peripheral and central sensitization.

Strictu sensu post-graduation in anesthesiology: experience of ten years at Universidade Estadual Paulista.

Background And Objectives: There are still few strictu sensu Post-Graduation Programs in Anesthesiology in Brazil. Aiming at fostering post-graduation in Anesthesiology in Brazil, we present the experience of ten years at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP).

Contents: Strictu sensu post-graduation program in Anesthesiology - UNESP was accredited by CAPES since its beginning in 1994, for Master and Doctoral programs.

[Patient controlled analgesia in a university hospital.].

Background And Objectives: The rapid development seen in recent years in surgical and anesthetic techniques allowed for an increased indication of invasive procedures. At the same time, with the aging of the population, the postoperative recovery period became the focus of major concern for the healthcare team. For such, new analgesic techniques were developed, among them, Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA).

[Intrathecal drugs for chronic pain control.].

Background And Objectives: Chronic pain is a challenge for modern medicine. New methods and drugs have been proposed to control pain. Intrathecal administration is a feasible and safe option, but still requires further investigations.

[Complex regional pain syndrome: epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests and therapeutic proposals.].

Background And Objectives: The term Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) was adopted as from 1994 by the International Association for Study of Pain (IASP) Consensus. It previously referred to by several other names, such as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Causalgia, Algodystrophy or Sudecks Atrophy, and is a disease where the understanding of clinical limits, pathophysiology and pathogenic implications is still very poor. Thus resulting in disappointment both for patients and for health professionals with regard to currently available therapies.