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Background:Epidural steroid injection (ESI), including transforaminal (TF) epidural injections and interlaminar (IL) epidural steroid injections are commonly performed procedures for the management of lumbosacral radicular pain. Parasagittal interlaminar (PIL) approach could enable higher ventral epidural spread, with fewer complications than TF.Objectives:This study aims to compare the effectiveness of PIL and TF ESI in relieving the pain and disability of patients with lumbosacral pain.Patients and Methods:This prospective study enrolled 64 patients, aged between 18 to 75 years, with a diagnosis of low back pain and unilateral lumbosacral radicular pain. The patients were randomized to receive fluoroscopically guided epidural injection, through either the PIL or TF approach. Patients were evaluated for effective pain relief [numerical rating scale (NRS) < 3] by 0 - 10 numeric rating scale (NRS) and functional improvement by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).Results:Effective pain relief [numeric rating scale (NRS) < 3] was observed in 77.3% (95% CI: 67‒90.5%) of patients in PIL group and 74.2% (95% CI: 62.4 - 89.4%) of patients in the TF group (P = 0.34), at 4 weeks. Mean NRS score was not significantly different between the PIL group compared to the TF group, at 4 weeks (P = 0.19). Number of patients with improved disability (measured by ODI < 20%) was not significantly different in PIL group (78% of cases) compared to the TF group (76% of cases), at 4 weeks (P = 0.21). There were no adverse effects observed in any of our patients.Conclusions:The PIL epidural injection is as effective as TF epidural injection in improving pain and functional status, in patients with chronic lumbosacral low back pain, due to disc degeneration.

1-stage bilateral THA can be used successfully for patients with bilateral hip disease without increasing the rate of complications. Functional and clinical outcomes are comparable and hospital stay is significantly shorter.

Background: Gastric ulcer is a serious digestive system problem and affects 5% to 10% of people during their life. Chemical antigastric ulcer drugs have side effect, cannot prevent recurrence of ulcer and also show drug interaction with many other medicaments. Tragopogon graminifolius DC.(TG) is a herb which is widely used in the west of Iran and traditionally consumed for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. TG was introduced as one of the most beneficial plants for digestive ulcer in Iranian traditional medicine. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the acute toxicity and protective effect of hydroalcoholic extract of TG (HeTG) against ethanol induced gastric ulcer. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n = 7). HeTG at the doses of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg were administered orally for 15 days and gastric ulcer was induced by pure ethanol (1 ml/200gr body weight). Ulcer index and protective rate were calculated and histological changes were determined. Results: HeTG was nontoxic up to 2000 mg/Kg. Ulcer index decreased in extract groups significantly. Protective rates of HeTG were 48.94%, 46.39%, and 43.99% in 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg extract, respectively. 50 mg/kg HeTG group had higher protective effect. There was relatively normal cellular arrangement in HeTG groups. Conclusions: TG showed protective effect against ethanol induced gastric ulcer. This study confirmed traditional medicine claims of TG.

Background:Most patients undergoing outpatient surgeries have the unpleasant experience of high level pain after surgery. Compared with open surgeries, arthroscopic procedures are less painful; however, inadequate pain management could be associated with significant concerns. Opioids alone or in combination with local anesthetics are frequently used for diminishing postoperative pain using intravenous or epidural infusion pumps. Despite morphine various disadvantages, it is commonly used for controlling pain after surgery.Objectives:The aim of this study was to compare intravenous paracetamol and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine for the pain management following diagnostic knee arthroscopy in trauma patients.Patients and Methods:Sixty trauma patients who were scheduled to undergo knee arthroscopy were randomly divided into two groups. Patients immediately received intravenous infusion of 1 g paracetamol within 15 minutes after surgery and every 6 hours to 24 hours in the paracetamol group. The patient-controlled analgesia group received morphine through PCA infusion pump at 2 mL/h base rate and 1mL bolus every 15 minutes. Pain level, nausea and vomiting, and sedation were measured and recorded during entering the recovery, 15 and 30 minutes after entering the recovery, 2, 6, and 24 hours after starting morphine pump infusion in the morphine and paracetamol in the paracetamol groups.Results:There was no significant difference regarding the pain level at different times after entering the recovery between the two groups. No one from the paracetamol group developed drug complications. However, 22.3% in the PCA morphine suffered from postoperative nausea; there was a statistically significant difference regarding the sedation level, nausea, and vomiting at various times between the two groups.Conclusions:Intravenous administration of paracetamol immediately after knee arthroscopy improved postoperative pain, decreased analgesic administration, maintained stable hemodynamic parameters, had no complications related to opiates, no nausea and vomiting, and increased patient satisfaction and comfort in comparison to PCA with morphine.

Background: The use of regional methods in various types of surgery such as mastectomy is very popular today. Various methods, including Pecs I-II block, erector spinae, epidural thoracic, and paravertebral block have been used in these operations, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Recent studies on the effect of µ receptor stimulation on the likelihood of recurrence and metastasis have been published, which make the use of a suitable regional approach with low complications and high efficacy attractive. Among the side effects of breast surgery in patients with cancer are nausea and vomiting, the risk of which is reduced through regional procedures that reduce the need for opioids. Methods: We randomly divided 64 patients into two pectoralis block (Pecs B) and erector spinae block (ESB) groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 2, 4, 6, and 10 hours, nausea and vomiting, need for opioids, and hemodynamic changes were recorded. Results: The analyses showed that pain score was significantly higher in the Pecs B group compared to the ESB group, while VAS score, as well as the frequency of opioid use, were lower, which could be due to medial branch of the anterior intercostal nerve. Hemodynamic changes were also significantly greater in the ESB group, which could be due to the proximity of the block to the thoracic sympathetic nerves and spinal cord. Conclusions: Despite the statistically significant differences in analgesia and hemodynamic changes, the seemingly superiority of the Pecs B is not clinically significant and the use of both types of the block is selective. Regarding the need for opioids and nausea, Pecs B showed a tangible advantage over ESB.

BackgroundVarious mechanisms have been suggested for analgesic effects of drugs used in infra-clavicular block and each has contributed to pain relief.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the degree of sympathetic block and measure tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1 levels before and after infra-clavicular block with ropivacaine and bupivacaine in patients undergoing arterio venous fistula (AVF) surgery.MethodsForty-eight patients undergoing AVF surgery were randomly divided to two groups, undergoing infra-clavicular block with ropivacaine and bupivacaine. The bupivacaine group was blocked with 30 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine and in the ropivacaine group, the blockage was done with 30 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine. Infra-clavicular block was carried out by ultrasound in a vertical manner. Blood samples were taken before the block and one hour after the block to measure IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. Data were analyzed by covariance analysis and correlation t-test.ResultsT-correlation analysis showed that in both ropivacaine and bupivacaine groups, the TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1 levels decreased after the block. Also, the increase in arterial diameter was significantly greater in ropivacaine group.ConclusionsThe present study showed that peripheral block with any single drug could reduce pre-inflammatory factors. On the other hand, ropivacaine significantly increased the diameter of the artery compared to the bupivacaine group.

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