The Nepal earthquakes resulted in a significant number of SCIs, the majority occurring in women. Incomplete paraplegia was the most common presentation. Pressure ulcer, the most frequent complication, primarily occurred before rehabilitation admission. Continued efforts focused on comprehensive planning, and preparedness for SCI-specific interdisciplinary care following earthquakes, particularly in resource-limited settings, is critical to ensuring survival, preventing complications and optimizing functional outcomes in this patient population.
This case report describes the first participant treated with a fully-implantable, single-lead peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) system for refractory hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP). During the 6-wk trial-stage, a temporary lead was placed percutaneously near the terminal branches of the axillary nerve to the deltoid. The primary outcome measure was the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form Question 3 (BPI-3), a 0–10 pain numeric rating scale. The participant experienced 75% pain reduction and proceeded to the implant-stage where he received a single-lead, implantable pulse generator. After 3-wks, the participant became pain-free. However, 7-wks after implantation, the system was turned off due to an unrelated acute medical illness. HSP reemerged with BPI-3 of 9. After 11-wks of recovery, PNS was reinitiated and the participant became pain-free through the 9-months follow-up. At 12-months, BPI-3 was a 1. This case report demonstrates the feasibility of a single-lead, fully-implantable PNS system for refractory HSP.
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