Epidural pain treatment in the northern Netherlands. Organizational and treatment aspects.
During the past six years opiates administered in the vicinity of the medulla spinalis (intrathecally or extradurally) were shown to be successful tools in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain (1, 6). Continuous installation and long-term treatment have become possible by insertion of a permanent catheter into the epidural space. In cases where conventional analgesic therapy has remained ineffective or given rise to serious side-effects this method of analgesia should be preferred to control protracted painful conditions, most typically in cancer patients. This article presents the results of a number of cases of long-term treatment with extradural opiates and mainly focuses on outpatient treatment and the organization this requires.
Dept. of Anesthesiology, Refaja Hospital, Stadskanaal, The Netherlands.
F P
FP
Boersma
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AB
Buist
J
J
Thie
D002908:Chronic Disease; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011637:Public Health Nursing
D009294:Narcotics