Cervical 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation in the management of chronic, medically refractory migraine: A prospective, open-label, exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: A significant minority of chronic migraine (CM) subjects fail conventional medical treatment (rCM), becoming highly disabled. Implantation of an occipital nerve stimulator is a therapeutic option for these subjects. Paresthesia-free cervical 10 kHz spinal cord stimulation (HF10 SCS) may provide an alternative. We report the results of a prospective, open-label, exploratory study assessing the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of cervical HF10 SCS in cohort of rCM subjects. METHODS: Included subjects were diagnosed with CM by an experienced headache specialist with the aid of an hourly headache diary. They were refractory to conventional medical treatments including onabotulinumtoxin-A injections. Medication overuse headache was not an exclusion criteria. Enrolled subjects underwent a 2- to 4-week tunnelled cervical HF10 SCS trial followed by a permanent system implant if a significant, subjective reduction in headache intensity/episodes was reported during the trial. Subjects were evaluated at baseline and 6 months after implantation with the aid of monthly diaries and headache-specific questionnaires. RESULTS: Seventeen subjects underwent a trial of cervical HF10 SCS; 14 were still implanted at 6 months (one trial failure, one trial infection, one implant site infection). Seven of the 14 subjects had >30% reduction in headache days. The average reduction in headache days was 6.9 for the overall population and 12.9 among the responders. Three subjects reported tenderness over the IPG/connection site, and one had a lead migration that required surgical revision. CONCLUSION: Paresthesia-free cervical HF10 SCS may be a safe and effective therapeutic option for chronic migraineurs refractory to conventional treatments.

[Chronic osteomyelitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa: treatment with elastomeric infusor in an outpatient setting]. / Osteomielite cronica daPseudomonas aeruginosa:trattamento antibioticodomiciliare con impiegodi elastomero.

Chronic bacterial osteomyelitis requires long-term antibiotic treatment (at least 6-8 weeks). After in-hospital management, patients are usually discharged and treated in outpatient settings. However, when the aetiology is represented by Gram-negative microorganisms, outpatient treatment could be difficult. Beta-lactam administration by means of an elastomeric infusor may represent an attractive approach. We report two cases of osteomyelitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa successfully treated with continuous ceftazidime administration via an elastomeric infusor in outpatient settings. In both cases the patients were free from clinical and laboratory signs of osteomyelitis at the end of treatment and after 12 months follow-up.

Combined intrathecal and epidural magnesium sulfate supplementation of spinal anesthesia to reduce post-operative analgesic requirements: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery.

BACKGROUND: New ways of decreasing post-operative analgesic drug requirements are of special interest after major surgery. Magnesium sulfate (MgSO(4)) alters pain processing and reduces the induction and maintenance of central sensitization by blocking the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the spinal cord. We investigated whether supplementation of spinal anesthesia with combined intrathecally and epidurally infused MgSO(4) reduced patients' post-operative analgesia requirements. METHODS: In a randomized, prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we enrolled 120 consecutive patients undergoing orthopedic surgery during spinal anesthesia (levobupivacaine and sufentanil). Patients were randomly assigned to receive intrathecal MgSO(4) (94.5 mg, 6.3%), epidural MgSO(4) (2%, 100 mg/h), intrathecal and epidural MgSO(4) combined or spinal anesthesia alone (controls). Post-operative morphine consumption was assessed in all groups by patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). RESULTS: Of the 120 patients enrolled, 103 (86%) completed the study. Morphine consumption at 36 h after surgery was 38% lower in patients receiving spinal anesthesia plus epidural MgSO(4) [- 14.963 mg; 95% confidence interval (CI), - 1.44 to - 28.49 mg], 49% lower in those receiving spinal anesthesia plus intrathecal MgSO(4) (- 18.963 mg; 95% CI, - 5.27 to - 32.65 mg) and 69% lower in the intrathecal-epidural combined group (- 26.963 mg; 95% CI, - 13.73 to - 40.19 mg) relative to control patients receiving spinal anesthesia alone. No complications developed during the post-operative course or at 1 month after surgery. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, supplementation of spinal anesthesia with combined intrathecal and epidural MgSO(4) significantly reduces patients' post-operative analgesic requirements.