Publications by authors named "Martin Acquadro"

Intrathecal drug delivery systems have been used with increasing frequency in patients with chronic intractable pain. Common complications of intrathecal drug delivery systems include surgical bleeding, spinal cord injury, fractured or migrated catheter, meningitis, pump failure, granuloma formation, cerebral spinal fluid leak, and hygroma formation. We present a rare near-miss case that could have led to the inadvertent filling of an intrathecal pump pocket with a high concentration of narcotic and local anesthetic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chronic orofacial pain, by definition, is a pain that can anatomically extend anywhere between the area just under the orbitomeatal line, anterior to the pinnae, and above the neck. It occurs for 15 days or more per month, lasting four or more hours daily, for at least three months. Chronic orofacial pain, including persistent idiopathic facial pain syndrome, can significantly impact patients' quality of life and pose challenges for effective management.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

According to the World Health Organization, as of September 2021, there have been over 226.8 million people diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 and over 4.6 million deaths from this disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 59-year-old woman underwent an open pancreaticoduodenectomy. Thoracic patient controlled-epidural anaesthesia provided excellent incisional pain relief; however, the patient experienced intractable left shoulder pain (10/10 on the Numerical Rating Scale). To our knowledge, there is no effective established treatment for patients experiencing shoulder pain after an open pancreaticoduodenectomy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Despite being reported since 1943 as well as being the subject of a large body of literature since that time, no consensus has been reached regarding the etiology of opioid induced hyperalgesia (OIH). It is often described as a paradoxical increased pain response to noxious stimuli due to increased sensitization or an acute tolerance to opioids.

Case: We report the case of a 60 year old patient on chronic Intrathecal combined fentanyl and Bupivacaine who had worsening pain with increasing doses and improved after weaning off intrathecal opioids.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Parry-Romberg syndrome is a rare condition characterized by progressive, hemifacial atrophy, hair loss, enophthalmos, retinal vasculopathy occasionally associated with hemicranial pain syndrome (secondary trigeminal neuralgia). The cause of the condition is unknown; however, substantial evidence suggests that vasculopathy plays a significant role in the genesis of the neurologic damage and facial lipodystrophy. Herein describes a case of Parry-Romberg syndrome treated with repetitive botulinum type A toxin injections, with almost complete resolution of severe chronic pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pain has become an increasingly recognized symptom that plays a major role in the treatment of many podiatric patients. Management of this now accepted fifth vital sign can be accomplished through many avenues. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications and short- and long-acting opioids are typically used by many podiatric physicians; however, the benefits and potential hazards of other pharmaceutic approaches using antidepressants, anticonvulsants, topical medications, and other centrally acting medications must also be recognized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Aberrant facial nerve regeneration syndrome is systematically studied by constructing a subjective questionnaire organized into pertinent domains (impairment of quality of life, social interactions, perception of self-appearance, visual function, and perception of problem severity) and by physical assessment of degree of involuntary palpebral fissure closure during routine facial movements using videotaping and a physicians' grading scale.

Methods: The videotape measurements of corneal light reflex to upper lid margin distance and vertical palpebral distance were made during adynamic and active facial expression. Thirty-six patients were studied (six in an open-label pilot study design and 30 in a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Turner syndrome is a complex and common genetic disorder that affects women and is associated with a wide variety of anatomic and physiological disorders. These abnormalities, especially those relating to the airway and cardiovascular system, pose a challenge to the anesthesiologist. We report a case of Turner syndrome associated with mental retardation and difficult airway, followed by a discussion of the perioperative management and review of the relevant literature.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This case report highlights a situation in which a double-cuffed nasal balloon tamponade device can cause an upper airway obstruction. An 89-year-old female required general anesthesia for an emergent embolization for right-sided epistaxis. The patient had no signs of upper airway obstruction when a double-cuffed nasal tamponade balloon was in place prior to general anesthesia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An open label pilot study was conducted to evaluate efficacy of botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of patients with chronic facial pain seeking tertiary care at a pain clinic. Diagnoses included temporomandibular joint syndrome, postsurgical pain syndromes, essential headache, and idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Thirty-three (75%) of 44 patients favorably responded, including 8 of 11 patients with trigeminal neuralgia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF