Cefalea postpunción dural en obstetricia / Postdural puncture headache in obstetrics

La cefalea postpunción dural es la complicación mayor más habitual tras la anestesia neuroaxial, y es especialmente frecuente en obstetricia. Suele ser una complicación benigna y autolimitada, pero sin tratamiento puede conducir a otras complicaciones más graves e incluso puede producir la muerte. Se han propuesto múltiples medios de profilaxis y tratamiento, pero en muchos casos la evidencia científica es insuficiente. Para su profilaxis tras una punción dural accidental la única medida eficaz es dejar el catéter en posición intradural; la morfina epidural también podría serlo. Una vez instaurado el cuadro clínico, debe prescribirse un tratamiento conservador durante las primeras 24 horas. Si fracasa, la medida más efectiva continúa siendo el parche hemático epidural, que no se debe demorar más de 24-48 horas para no prolongar el sufrimiento de la paciente. Si son necesarios más de dos parches, hay que descartar otra causa potencialmente grave de la cefalea(AU)

Postdural puncture headache is the most common major complication following neuraxial anesthesia; this adverse event is particularly frequent in obstetrics. The headache is usually benign and self-limited but if left untreated can lead to more serious complications that may be life-threatening. Many treatments and prophylactic measures have been suggested, but evidence supporting them is scarce in many cases. After accidental dural puncture the only effective preventive measure is to leave the catheter inside the dura; epidural morphine infusion may also help. Once symptoms begin, treatment is conservative for the first 24 hours. If this approach fails, the most effective intervention continues to be a blood patch, which should not be delayed beyond 24 to 48 hours in order to avoid suffering. If more blood patches are required, other possible causes of headache should be ruled out(AU)

[Postdural puncture headache in obstetrics]. / Cefalea postpunción dural en obstetricia.

Postdural puncture headache is the most common major complication following neuraxial anesthesia; this adverse event is particularly frequent in obstetrics. The headache is usually benign and self-limited but if left untreated can lead to more serious complications that may be life-threatening. Many treatments and prophylactic measures have been suggested, but evidence supporting them is scarce in many cases. After accidental dural puncture the only effective preventive measure is to leave the catheter inside the dura; epidural morphine infusion may also help. Once symptoms begin, treatment is conservative for the first 24 hours. If this approach fails, the most effective intervention continues to be a blood patch, which should not be delayed beyond 24 to 48 hours in order to avoid suffering. If more blood patches are required, other possible causes of headache should be ruled out.

Bloqueo del ganglio estrellado y anestesia subaracnoidea. Caso Clínico / No disponible

El ganglio estrellado está formado por la unión del ganglio cervical inferior y el primer ganglio torácico. El bloqueo de dicho ganglio es usado para el diagnóstico y tratamiento de diversos síndromes dolorosos crónicos. Esta técnica con anestésicos locales suele ser segura aunque no exenta de complicaciones como convulsiones, neumotórax o anestesia espinal entre otras. Estas complicaciones pueden minimizarse con una adecuada vigilancia, monitorización y recursos adecuados. Para un correcto diagnóstico y tratamiento de las posibles complicaciones. Presentamos el caso de un bloqueo espinal completo tras la realización de un bloqueo del ganglio estrellado (AU)

The stellate ganglion refers to the ganglion formed by fusion of the inferior cervical and the first thoracic ganglion. Stellate ganglion blockade is a procedure mainly used for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic painful syndromes. This technique with local anesthetic is a safe procedure, his risk, though infrequent; include seizures, pneumothorax, spinal block and others. These complications can be minimized with adequate monitoring, surveillance and resources in order to diagnostic and treatment of complications. We present a case with spinal block following stellate ganglion blockade (AU)

COMT (Val158Met) polymorphism is not associated to neuropathic pain in a Spanish population.

It is well known that the response to painful stimuli varies between individuals and this could be consequence of individual differences to pain sensitivity that may be related to genetic factors. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the enzymes that metabolize catecholamine neurotransmitters. Differences in the activity of COMT influence the functions of these neurotransmitters. A single nucleotide polymorphism (Val158Met) of COMT leads to a three to four fold reduction in the activity of the enzyme and has been associated to modifications in the response to a pain stressor. Neuropathic pain is a progressive nervous system disease due to an alteration of the peripheral or central nervous system. To elucidate the possible role of COMT polymorphism in the susceptibility to neuropathic pain, we have performed a case-control study in a Spanish population. Analysis of the (Val158Met) COMT polymorphism was performed by PCR amplification and DNA digestion with restriction enzymes. Our study concludes that functional Val158Met polymorphism of COMT gene is not associated to increased susceptibility to neuropathic pain.

[Epidural spinal cord stimulation for interstitial cystitis]. / Tratamiento de la cistitis intersticial mediante la estimulación de cordones posteriores.

INTRODUCTION: Interstitial cystitis, a chronic inflammatory disorder of the bladder wall, is highly painful and incapacitating. Urinary frequency and urgency develop, as well as nocturia, dysuria, perineal pain and reduction of bladder capacity. The condition seems to arise from a variety of factors with multiple and diverse pathogenic mechanisms and is refractory to medical and surgical treatment. Because treatments are ineffective and recent studies have implicated an inflammatory neurogenic mechanism in the pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis, neuromodulation by epidural spinal cord stimulation has been suggested for treating patients in whom other measures have failed. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 66-year-old woman with a 9-year history of urinary incontinence, urinary urgency and suprapubic pain was diagnosed of interstitial cystitis. She was referred to our pain clinic with persistent symptoms after repeated attempts to treat the condition medically. After implantation of a cephalocaudal (retrograde) epidural spinal cord stimulator, pain decreased 80% and the improvement has been maintained with no complications. CONCLUSION: Results from this and previous reports allow us to state that retrograde epidural spinal cord stimulation seems to be a relatively non-invasive therapeutic approach for treating interstitial cystitis that is refractory to conventional treatments.

Bases genéticas del dolor / Genetic foundations of pain

La percepción de la sensación dolorosa es un proceso complejo en el que intervienen mútiples procesos bioquímicos bien conocidos junto con otros de integración cortical desconocidos hasta el momento. La existencia de diferencias individuales en la respuesta al estímulo doloroso es una observación bien conocida que sugiere qué factores genéticos pueden estar implicados en la modulación de la respuesta a estímulos dolorosos. Existen dos aproximaciones experimentales para estudiar la implicación del genotipo en la respuesta al estímulo doloroso, los estudios de ligamiento y los estudios de asociación. Hasta el momento los estudios de ligamiento han permitido asociar mutaciones en el gen TRKA con el síndrome de insensibilidad congénita al dolor con anhidrosis (CIPA) y el gen CACNL1A4 y la migraña hemipléjica familiar (FHM). Los estudios de asociación son escasos y se han centrado principalmente en el estudio de pacientes con migraña. En este trabajo revisamos los estudios llevados a cabo hasta el momento en diferentes laboratorios y planteamos nuevas perspectivas de futuro (AU)

[Effectiveness of epidural administration of saline solutions to prevent or treat postdural puncture headache]. / Eficacia de la administración peridural de soluciones salinas isotónicas en la profilaxis y tratamiento de las cefaleas postpunción dural.

Epidural anesthesia is the most versatile and widely used of the techniques for regional anesthesia. The most common complication of epidural or spinal anesthesia is postdural puncture headache. The loss of cerebrospinal fluid through the hole can be an important causative factor of this cephalalgia. Of the many methods recommended for preventing and treating postdural puncture headache, one is bolus administration or infusion of saline solution into the epidural space, by which both epidural and subarachnoid pressures are increased. We have reviewed the literature evaluating the effectiveness of this technique from 1967 to 2004, using the following search terms: anesthesia, spinal; anesthesia, epidural; analgesia, epidural; headache; postdural puncture treatment or prophylaxis; epidural injection; epidural saline. Few articles were found. The studies had small samples and most did not include a control group. The doses and methods of epidural administration of saline solutions were highly variable and the results were often contradictory. We conclude that using this technique to prevent and/or treat postdural puncture headache is difficult to justify.

Dolor agudo postoperatorio (DAP) en cirugía general / Postoperative acute pain (PAP) in general surgery

No disponible

Diagnóstico mediante ecocardiografía transesofágica de canulación accidental de la aurícula izquierda, por una cánula de vena cava inferior / Diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography of an accidental cannulation of the left atrium by an inferior vena cava catheter

No disponible