OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency in comparison with standardvoltage pulsed radiofrequency for the treatment of elderly patients with acute herpes zoster neuralgia.METHODS: Sixty-four elderly acute herpes zoster neuralgia patients were randomly assigned to the standard-voltage pulsed radiofrequency group (i.e., group S, 32 cases) and the high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency group (i.e., group H, 32 cases), which received the standardvoltage and high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency treatment, respectively. The doses of gabapentin and tramadol for analgesia were adjusted based on pain degree of patients. The therapeutic effectiveness were assessed using the numeric rating scale and the sleep quality scale.The doses of gabapentin and tramadol before pulsed radiofrequency and 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after pulsed radiofrequency were measured. The incidence of clinically meaningful postherpetic neuralgia (pulsed radiofrequency) 12 weeks after pulsed radiofrequency was noted.RESULTS: After pulsed radiofrequency, the numeric rating scale score and the doses of gabapentin and tramadol in group H were significantly lower than those in group S, respectively (p<0.05). The sleep quality scale score in group H was significantly higher than that in group S (p<0.05). The incidence of clinically meaningful pulsed radiofrequency in group H was significantly lower than that in group S (p<0.05).CONCLUSION: For the treatment of elderly patients with acute herpes zoster neuralgia, when compared with the standard-voltage pulsed radiofrequency, the high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency can rapidly and steadily reduce the pain degree, improve the sleep quality, reduce the doses of anticonvulsants and analgesics, and decrease the incidence of clinically meaningful postherpetic neuralgia.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Methods A literature review was conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane Review, Embase, and Google Scholar databases. Two reviewers independently assessed the eligibility of all retrieved studies. The research was reported based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to ensure the reliability and verity of the results. The statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 13.0. Results Nine randomized controlled trials were collected for the data extraction and meta-analysis. Significant differences in the pain score at 4, 12, and 24 weeks were found between patients treated with radiofrequency ablation and those treated with placebo. Furthermore, the use of radiofrequency ablation was associated with an improved outcome of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index at 4, 12, and 24 weeks. No serious adverse events were observed in any patients who underwent radiofrequency ablation. Conclusion Radiofrequency ablation is efficacious and safe for reducing pain and improving knee function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, without increasing the risk of adverse effects.
Background: This study explored the validity and reliability of brief pain inventory (BPI) and pain detection questionnaire (PD-Q) based on WeChat and paper versions for collecting data on patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia. Methods: The study participants were 160 patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia admitted in our hospital from December 2017 to June 2020. Initially, the participants were randomly divided into group A (n = 80) and group B (n = 80). Then, they were required to complete the Chinese versions of the BPI and PD-Q. In group A, the WeChat version was finished first, followed by the paper version. In group B, the paper version was completed first, followed by the WeChat version. Then, the test–retest reliability was analyzed by comparing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the 2 groups. Bland–Altman plots and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to analyze the concordance between the paper and WeChat versions. Results: Patients generally preferred the WeChat version of the BPI and PD-Q, particularly men and patients with pain duration ≥ 30 minutes. Specifically, no significant differences in the completion time of the BPI and PD-Q was found between the 2 groups. All patients had high test–retest reliability and internal consistency for both WeChat and paper versions (BPI: ICC, 0.913; Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.959; PD-Q: ICC, 0.825; Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.894). Bland–Altman plots indicated no significant systematic deviations between the WeChat and paper versions. Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a strong correlation between BPI (Spearman, 0.928) and PD-Q (Spearman, 0.830) questionnaires. Conclusion: The WeChat and paper versions of the BPI and PD-Q have good repeatability, reliability, and consistency for collecting data on patients with herpes zoster-induced neuralgia.
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