Our objective was to better understand the experience and impact of pain on ALS patients in the U.S., and to survey ALS physicians on their pain assessment and management practices. Individuals with ALS were invited to complete an online survey of pain in ALS. ALS specialist physicians were sent an e-mail survey about their experiences in evaluating and managing patients' pain. Nearly 75% of patients with ALS reported significant pain, and most thought that ALS was the source of at least some of this pain. Pain intensity scores (mean 3.9/10) and pain interference scores (mean 4.3/10) were moderate on average, but nearly 80% of participants were using pain medication, including 22% using opioids. Nearly 25% of patients thought they needed stronger pain medication than they were receiving. Physicians generally assess and manage pain in ALS patients, but few use standardized assessment tools. Nearly two-thirds felt that there is a need for better pain management practices and more than one-third felt better training was needed. In conclusion, pain in patients with ALS is not always well controlled. Improvement in care may be facilitated by a more standardized approach to evaluation, and by additional education and training of ALS health care professionals.
Immune reactions to medical implants often lead to encapsulation by fibrotic tissue and impaired device function. This process is thought to initiate by protein adsorption, which enables immune cells to attach and mount an inflammatory response. Previously, several antifibrotic materials have been either designed to reduce protein adsorption or discovered via high-throughput screens (HTS) to favorably regulate inflammation.
Purpose: To compare long-term care escalation encounters among three care patterns for new episodes of neck pain among Medicare beneficiaries.
Methods: We examined Medicare claims spanning a four-year period for beneficiaries with new episodes of neck pain beginning in 2019. All patients were continuously enrolled under Medicare parts A, B, and D and aged 65-99 years.
Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a significant global health burden, with variable treatment outcomes and an unclear underlying molecular mechanism. Effective prediction of treatment responses remains a challenge. In this study, we aimed to develop gene signature-based machine learning models using transcriptomic data from peripheral immune cells to predict treatment outcomes in patients with LBP.
Background: Concurrent ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are extremely rare, and their management remains perplexing due to the absence of high-quality evidence and limited resources. For the first time, we report a rare, preventable, and suboptimally managed case of concurrent AIS and STEMI in a patient with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) chemotherapy.
Case Presentation: A 59-year-old postmenopausal woman of African origin with a background history of type 2 diabetes mellitus presented to the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute with sudden onset of left-sided weakness and typical ischemic chest pain for 3 days.
Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330001, China.
Objective: This study aimed to observe the impact of Tthoracic paravertebral nerve blockade(TPVB) at left T7 level on the α7nAChR-dependent cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy.
Methods: Scheduled thoracoscopic lung surgery patients at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from August to September 2023 were divided into two groups according to the surgical site. The experimental group underwent left T7 paravertebral nerve blockade (LTPVB group), while the control group underwent right T7 paravertebral nerve blockade (RTPVB group).
