Postoperative pain in root canal treatment with ultrasonic versus conventional irrigation: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Clinical Oral Investigations - The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis (SRM) was to answer the question whether the use of ultrasonic irrigation (UI) results in less postoperative...     

Drezotomía en el tratamiento del dolor por desaferentización: revisión de resultados y análisis de factores predictores de éxito

Background and objectivesThe treatment of deafferentation pain by spinal DREZotomy is a proven therapeutic option in the literature. In recent years, use of DREZotomy has been relegated to second place due to the emergence of neuromodulation therapies. The objectives of this study are to demonstrate that DREZotomy continues to be an effective and safe treatment and to analyse predictive factors for success.Patients and methodsA retrospective study was conducted of all patients treated in our department with spinal DREZotomy from 1998 to 2018. Bulbar DREZotomy procedures were excluded. A visual analogue scale (VAS) and the reduction of routine medication were used as outcome variables. Demographic, clinical and operative variables were analysed as predictive factors for success.ResultsA total of 27 patients (51.9% female) with a mean age of 53.7 years underwent DREZotomy. The main cause of pain was brachial plexus injury (BPI) (55.6%) followed by neoplasms (18.5%). The mean time of pain evolution was 8.4 years with a mean intensity of 8.7 according to the VAS, even though 63% of the patients had previously received neurostimulation therapy. Favourable outcome (≥ 50% pain reduction in the VAS) was observed in 77.8% of patients during the postoperative period and remained in 59.3% of patients after 22 months average follow-up (mean reduction of 4.9 points). This allowed for a reduction in routine analgesic treatment in 70.4% of them. DREZotomy in BPI-related pain presented a significantly higher success rate (93%) than the other pathologies (41.7%) (p = .001). No association was observed between outcome and age, gender, DREZ technique, duration of pain or previous neurostimulation therapies. There were six neurological complications, four post-operative transient neurological deficits and two permanent deficits.ConclusionDorsal root entry zone surgery is effective and safe for treating patients with deafferentation pain, especially after brachial plexus injury. It can be considered an alternative treatment after failed neurostimulation techniques for pain control. However, its indication should be considered as the first therapeutic option after medical therapy failure due to its good long-term results.     

Outcomes of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and poor performance status treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors in the real-world setting

International Journal of Clinical Oncology - Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are standard treatments for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with poor performance status...     

Locomotive Syndrome is associated with chronic pain and poor quality of life in Brazilian oldest old: LOCOMOV Project

BackgroundIn 2007, the Japanese Orthopedic Association established the term “Locomotive Syndrome” (LS) for the concept of locomotor organ dysfunction with potential loss of independence. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics of LS and establish a diagnostic cut-off for the Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS 25-p) for the Brazilian population.MethodsA cross-sectional observational study of the LOCOMOV Project cohort of independent outpatients aged ≥80 years was conducted. Questionnaires on functional status in Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Katz and Lawton, respectively) and quality of life (WHOQOL-Bref) were applied, together with the Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS 25-p) to identify individuals with LS. Mobility was assessed using the five-times sit-to-stand test, 4-m gait speed, two-step test, one-leg standing time with eyes open and hand-grip test. The data were analyzed using Student's t-test, the Chi–Square test, and multiple logistic regression (stepwise). The significance level was set at 0.05 (5%).ResultsA sample of 102 individuals with mean age of 87.3 (±4.2) years and predominantly female (73.5%) was assessed. We determined a cut-off score of 19 (sensitivity of 0.86 and specificity of 0.67) for diagnosis of LS, as assessed by the GLFS 25-p, and a high prevalence (55%) of the syndrome was found in the sample. In the multiple regression analysis, LS was directly associated with chronic pain (OR 22.24, 95%CI 3.13–157.87), use of a walking device (OR 17.121, 95%CI 1.94–150.49), and inversely associated with gait speed ≥0.8 m/s (OR 0.42, 95%CI 0.006–0.278), perception of good health (OR 0.153, 95%CI 0.029–0.799) and male gender (OR 0.086, 95%CI 0.0105–0.714).ConclusionThe LS in the oldest old proved a very common condition in this survey, especially in women, and was strongly associated with chronic pain, worse performance on physical tests and poor quality of life.     

Major Cardiac–Psychiatric Drug–Drug Interactions: a Systematic Review of the Consistency of Drug Databases

Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy - Major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders (AD) are both highly prevalent among individuals with arrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, heart failure,...