title: Assessment of the feasibility of high-concentration capsaicin patches in the pain unit of a tertiary hospital for a population of mixed refractory peripheral neuropathic pain syndromes in non-diabetic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-concentration-capsaicin-patches (Qutenza®) have been put on the market as a treatment for peripheral neuropathic pain. A minimum infrastructure and a determinate skill set for its application are required. Our aim was to assess the feasibility of treatment with high-concentration-capsaicin-patches in clinical practice in a variety of refractory peripheral neuropathic pain syndromes in non-diabetic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, prospective, single-center study of patients attended to in the Pain Unit of a tertiary hospital, ≥ 18 year-old non-responders to multimodal analgesia of both genders. The feasibility for the application of capsaicin patch in clinical practice was evaluated by means of the number of patients controlled per day when this one was applied and by means of the times used for patch application.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between October 2010 and September 2011, 20 consecutive non-diabetic patients (7 males, 13 females) with different diagnoses of refractory peripheral neuropathic pain syndromes, with a median (range) age of 60 (33-88) years-old were treated with a single patch application. The median (range) number of patients monitored per day was not modified when the capsaicin patch was applied [27 (26-29)] in comparison with it was not applied [28 (26-30)]. The median (range) total time to determine and mark the painful area was 9 (6-15) minutes and of patch application was 60 (58-65) minutes. No important adverse reactions were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-concentration-capsaicin-patch treatment was feasible in our unit for the treatment of a population with refractory peripheral neuropathic pain. The routine of our unit was not affected by its use.
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giménez-Milà
authors.affiliation: Catalan Society of Pain, Barcelona, Spain ; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Videla
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Marco-Antonio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faulí
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ojeda
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bogdanovich
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Luis-Alfonso
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernández-Cera
authors.affiliation: Pain Unit, Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Villarroel 170, Barcelona, 08036 Spain.
authors.forename: Carme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Busquets
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors; D057968:Transdermal Patch; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D002211:Capsaicin
keywords: Capsaicin patch; Clinical practice; Peripheral neuropathic pain