Is sedation indicated before spinal injections?

Study Design: Survey.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to help determine whether sedation is indicated before lumbar and cervical interventional pain management procedures, and additionally, to determine whether benzodiazepams are effective at controlling anxiety for these procedures.

Summary Of Background Data: The use of sedation before diagnostic and therapeutic epidurals seems to vary widely and no guidelines have been issued that address whether sedation is indicated and for which patients.

A comparison of Christiana Spine Center's whiplash patients' course of illness to the guidelines set forth by the Quebec Task Force for Whiplash Associated Disorders.

In 1995, the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash Associated Disorders came out with guidelines for diagnosis and management of automobile related "whiplash" injuries to the neck. The task force reviewed the available literature and found it quite lacking, but nonetheless came up with a "best evidence synthesis" and based their recommendations on this. The purpose of this paper was to determine how frequently these guidelines were followed in a group of patients with whiplash who were referred to a spine specialist clinic in New Castle County, Delaware.

A survey: conscious sedation with epidural and zygapophyseal injections: is it necessary?

Background Context: Substantial variation exists regarding the use of sedation before interventional spine techniques. Patient preference should play an important role in decision making regarding the need for sedation. However, little is known about patients' anxiety levels before spinal injections and their perceptions about the necessity of sedation.

Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae: incidence in a consecutive patient series.

Background: Great variability exists in the reported frequency of transitional vertebra in the general population as well as in symptomatic lumbar spine patients.

Objective: To determine the occurrence rate of transitional vertebra in consecutive lumbar spine patients in our practice.

Design: A prospective, observational study

Methods: Plain films were viewed and the presence or absence of a lumbar transitional vertebra was documented.