pain

The impact of culture on the communication of pain becomes visible in a comparative perspective when individuals with two different cultures meet.Regardless of the physiological cause, it is through lived experience, in social life, that it is decided how, where, when and for whom pain is to be communicated. Age and gender, situation and context as well as the type of pain are essential ingredients in communication. The communication is always adapted to expectations from those present, their own experiences of pain and the specific circumstances, the cause of the pain. The impact of culture on the communication of pain becomes visible in a comparative perspective when individuals with two different cultures meet.

Percutaneous coronary angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure aimed at unclogging a coronary artery with a low complication rate (with a serious complication rate of 3% to 7% and a mortality rate of 1.2%). Device entrapment during PCI is a rare but life-threatening complication that occurs in < 1% of PCIs and balloon entrapment comes second after coronary guidewires. We present the case of 68-years-old man, smoker, hypertensive and type2 diabetic that presents angina with evidence of ischemia on myocardial tomoscintigraphy and in whom the radial coronary angiography reveals a tight calcified mid LAD stenosis. During his PCI and after dilatation with an NC balloon 2.5 × 12 the latter refuses to deflate and remains trapped in the lesion with the appearance of pain and ST-elevation despite several attempts to dilute the product in the inflator and to burst it by overexpansion. Traction on the balloon resulted in the deep intubation of the guiding-catheter, which comes in contact with the trapped balloon, and the rupture of the latter’s hypotube, which remains inflated at the site of the lesion and mounted on the 0.014 guidewire. We put a second 0.014 guidewire distally in the LAD and twisted with the distal part of the first guidewire, then we introduced a second balloon 2.0 × 20 over the second guidewire until the distal part of the guiding-catheter and inflated to trap the stucked balloon. We gradually removed this emergency assembly that allowed us to retrieve the trapped balloon. The control injection revealed a thrombotic occlusion of the LAD treated by thrombectomy and anti-GPIIbIIIa followed by a DES 2.75 × 28 placement. The patient was discharged 48 hours later with a good LVEF. The possible balloon entrapment mechanisms are an acute recoil of a highly calcified lesion with compression of the incompletely deflated balloon, which seems to be the case in our patient, strangulation of the proximal balloon end by the guiding-catheter if the balloon is removed before complete deflation and break or bend of the hypotube. The solutions in case of undeflatable balloon entrapment are to dilute the product in the inflator, to burst it by overexpansion, to pierce it through a stiff guidewire (or through its other end on a Microcatheter or OTW balloon), to cut its outer part and let it empty passively, to introduce a second guide-wire and perform a Buddy-Balloon or to transfer the patient to Surgery. Material entrapment remains a rare but life-threatening complication, its eviction requires the choice of material size and gentle manipulations (small balloons in the event of a calcified lesion) and its management uses different techniques, the choice of which depends on the clinical and anatomical situation. 

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involving the ovaries is unusual and may cause confusion for the clinician since its presentation could resemble other, more frequent tumors. Malignant lymphoid cells may occur in the ovary either as a primary neoplasm or as a secondary manifestation of a disseminated occult or known disease. The most common presenting symptoms or signs of malignant lymphomas involving the ovaries are abdominopelvic pain or mass. 

Marfan syndrome is a dominant autosomal genetic disease of the connective tissue, leading to various complications. Cardiovascular complications are the main ones, with dilation of the aorta and aortic dissection which is the main cause of death. Double dissection with different sites of departure is scarcely reported by the literature. We reported the case of a 22-year’s-old young patient admitted for acute chest and abdominal pains, and cardiogenic shock. Investigations reported a double dissection of the aorta with a recent one of type A and an old one of type B. Ghent diagnostic criteria were used to allow the diagnosis of Marfan disease. Surgical management corrected successfully the type A dissection.Early diagnostic and adequate management of aortic complications can reduce the high mortality rate of patients with Marfan syndrome.

Aim: The current paper presents a subjective symptom survey regarding postpartum discomfort (Study 1) and a case study on postpartum care using the program developed based on the survey results (Study 2). Thereafter, health care during the postpartum period is discussed.Methods: Study 1 analyzed 1638 postpartum women who completed the Subjective Fatigue Symptom Scale (SFSS) over the period from June 2012 to December 2019. Study 2 detailed the case of a 33-year-old primiparous woman who answered questions regarding the rehabilitation care program.Results: The 1638 subjects included in Study 1 had a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.2 years and a mean postpartum duration of 4.3 ± 2.3 months. Subjective symptoms included lower back pain, shoulder stiffness, sleepiness, wanting to lie down, yawing, and eye strain. The case included in Study 2 showed certain psychological and physical changes following the exercise program. The results of Study 1 showed that motor system discomfort, such as stiff shoulders and lower back pain, occurred in women across all postpartum stages. Our results demonstrated that care and exercise geared toward improving motor system function are imperative after childbirth. Meanwhile, the results of Study 2 imply that our rehabilitation program based on postpartum physical conditions had positive psychological and physical effects.Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that continuing rehabilitative care based on the physical condition during each postpartum stage facilitates improvement in mothers’ physical and psychological discomfort.

Introduction: Percutaneous kidney biopsy is a necessary tool to diagnose many kidney diseases. However, major complications were reported in adults, including bleeding in the kidney or around it, creation of arteriovenous fistula, wound infection, damage to adjacent organs, or even loss of the kidney. Such complications can rapidly develop serious consequences. Exploring risk factors might help in preventing them.Objective: The current study aims to evaluate and explore the complications that happened after percutaneous kidney biopsy in children and associated risk factors.Methodology: A retrospective record-based study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of children with post-ultrasound-guided percutaneous kidney biopsy complications at King Saud Medical City, a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period from May 2014 to June 2021. Data were extracted using pre-structured data collection sheet. Data collected included children’s age, gender, primary disease, laboratory findings, and kidney complications with needed management. Results: The study identified 76 children who had undergone 86 ultrasound-guided percutaneous kidney biopsies in the study period and fulfil the inclusion criteria. Children’s ages ranged from 1 years to 15 years with a mean age of 7.3 ± 4.0 years old. Most of the study children had nephrotic syndrome (61.6%; 53), followed by glomerulonephritis (25.6%; 22). Thirty-five (40.7%) children developed at least one of the complications. The most-reported complication was microscopic haematuria (32.6%; 28), followed by gross haematuria (3.5%; 3), Flank pain was reported among 3 (3.5%) children also and hematoma (1 child), only 2 children (3.9%) among those who had no complications recorded Haemoglobin drop > 2 g/dl compared to 3 of those who had complications with no statistical significance (p = .365). Prothrombin time was significantly higher among children who had renal complications than others who had not (11.7 ± 1.8 vs. 10.8 ± 1.2 seconds; p = .022).Conclusion: Suggestive by the low need to intervene in complications, ultrasound-guided percutaneous kidney biopsy is a relatively safe procedure in children. Even in the most commonly observed complication, i.e. hemorrhagic ones, blood transfusion is rarely needed.

Chronic foot and heel pain is a clinical dilemma that Pain Physicians often encounter in their daily practice. In the younger active patients, this is often attributed to plantar fasciitis but other rarer etiologies should also be considered. In patients who present with pain over the medial calcaneus, entrapment neuropathy of the inferior calcaneal nerve, the first branch of the lateral plantar nerve (FBLPN), also known as “Baxter’s nerve” must be considered [1,2]. Initially described in 1984 by Baxter and Thigpen, it is often overlooked as a cause of medial heel pain, particularly in athletes, where it may coexist with plantar fasciitis [3]. The nerve has a tortuous course in the foot and can be entrapped as it passes through the fascia of the abductor hallucis, travels in close proximity to a plantar spur or the medial calcaneal tuberosity, or gets enmeshed in scar tissue from prior surgery [1,3].

A 25 years old pregnant woman had a painful labor in her 38th week of pregnancy. Because of a previous delivery by a cesarean section, she underwent a second cesarean section. Her past medical and family history was unimportant. We performed the surgery under spinal anesthesia. The surgery was uneventful and the baby was in a good health. After 9 hours of surgery, she complained of painless swelling in the parotid glands. Physical examination and laboratories were normal. We started rehydration with normal saline and one dose of hydrocortisone (100 mg IV route). Close monitoring showed no problems in swallowing or any purulent discharge. Two days later, we had a complete resolution of the swelling. We discharged the woman with her child with no complaints. Our case is one of the rare cases of anesthesia mumps after spinal anesthesia. Physicians should be careful in considering such rare cases. Early diagnosis and management is the key.

Background: The clinical manifestations of Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) varied from patient to patient with evidence of multi-organ involvement. Many patients continue to have a wide range of symptoms for variable periods of time. The long-term effects of COVID-19 infection (post-COVID-19 illness or syndrome) are not yet been fully explored.This study aims to highlight the clinical manifestations of the acute COVID-19 infection and the longer-term manifestations of the disease among the attendants to a private GP clinic in the Urban Amman Area, Jordan.Methods: A clinical case-series study was conducted on a sample of 300 COVID-19-positive cases among patients attending my private GP clinic in the Urban Amman Area, Jordan. We used the structured questionnaire based mainly on World Health Organization (WHO) Case Report Form (CRF) verified tool for post-COVID-19. All patients with COVID-19 were included in the study. Data collection was conducted through phone calls and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Results: The incidence of COVID-19 among patients attending the clinic during the period of this study was 25%. Females were 135 (45%) of the study population and males were 165 (55%). The mean (SD) of age was 34.2 (5.0) years. Most of the infected staff (90%) were symptomatic and developed acute COVID-19 symptoms. Fever, Cough, Fatigue, joint pain and loss of smell and taste were the most common symptoms. 72% of the study population had fully recovered from the infection, while 28% of them continued to suffer from many long symptoms. Fatigue (28%), shortness of breath on activity (18%), Social withdrawal (18%), anxiety (17%), forgetfulness (16%), trouble concentrating (15) and depressed mood (14%) were the most frequently reported long symptoms.Conclusion: The prevalence of Post COVID-19 illness was 28% with a high public health burden calling for the public health system to address the medical and psychological needs of affected persons. Mental health and psychosocial support are recommended elements for the management of patients.

Influenza B myositis is a self-limited process that is typically accompanied by myalgia and muscle weakness, which can be caused by an acute respiratory infection. It occurs in the convalescence phase of the disease. It can usually affect preschool and school children, who present bilateral pain and tenderness in the muscle groups of the lower limbs without alterations in the neurological examination. Being able to generate an alteration in the brand or bipedestation. Its main complication is rhabdomyolysis. In Guatemala is difficult to test for viral respiratory infection and the incidence of viral myositis is unknown, for which we consider the report important because it presents a benign course and is easy to manage with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. We present to case report to an 8-year-old male patient, previously healthy, with diagnostic de Influenza B myositis.

Introduction: Intraductal Papillary Neoplasm of the Bile ducts (IPNB) is a rare entity characterized by exophytic growth of the bile ducts.Case presentation: In this report, we present a 57-year-old male with no prior medical history consulted for upper right abdominal pain, jaundice and pruritus. Abdominal Ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging/Bili-magnetic resonance were performed. They revealed that the circumferential parietal thickening of the common hepatic duct had extended approximately 4 cm with moderate dilatation of the left intrahepatic bile ducts. Computed tomography showed no evidence of distant metastasis.Biopsy revealed a high-grade intraductal papillary neoplasm. After 40 days, the patient had left hepatectomy with resection of the main bile duct and the gallbladder. Macroscopic examination of the surgical specimen showed a dilatation duct at the hilum with thickening of their walls.The histopathology report revealed multiple intra-hepatic papillary neoplasms with high-grade dysplasia with an invasive carcinoma component in the left hepatic duct without extending to the biliary wall, classified as pT1N0.Conclusion: This premalignant lesion has the potential to transform into invasive carcinoma if not properly diagnosed.Our case illustrates how early identification can lead to potential surgical resection.

Quick and cost-effective recovery is foundational to high-quality training and good competition results in today’s sports. The aim of the research was to elucidate the effects of hand and massage chair massage on the biomechanical parameters of muscles of lower limbs and back, indicators of Pain Pressure Thresholds (PPT) and subjectively perceived fatigue. A total of 32 female recreational athletes (18 – 50 years old) were assigned to a hand massage, massage chair, or lying down the group. They were measured for muscle biomechanical properties (MyotonPro), PPT (Wagner Instruments) and subjectively perceived fatigue (VAS scale) before and after fatigue tests and treatment. The recovery procedure and subjective satisfaction with treatment were rated on a Likert scale. Changes in the median value of m. rectus femoris and m. gastrocnemius stiffness with treatment showed that hand massage could be more effective in reducing stiffness, as compared to chair massage. Hand massage may have benefits for recovery from physical exertion, but due to the individuality of subjects, detailed methodological studies are needed to evaluate the effects of massage chair vs. hand massage.

The appropriateness of opioid therapy for patients with Chronic Non-Malignant Pain (CNCP) has been questioned by a variety of researchers and policy makers [1-3]. One comprehensive review concluded that the benefits of such therapy for pain relief and functional improvement are modest at best and that opioid therapy is associated with significant harms including various symptoms (e.g., headache, nausea, sedation), development of opioid use disorder, fractures and death from overdose [3].

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare condition that may congest bowel venous drainage and cause mesenteric ischemia. In acute settings, gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is rare, and acute abdominal pain is the most common clinical presentation. A 24-year-old man who presented with acute abdominal pain and a single episode of hematemesis is reported. Workups revealed evidence of thrombosis in the portal vein, but upper endoscopy was incapable to detect the source of the bleeding. We discuss the possible scenarios for the GIB in this case and review similar reports in the literature.

Priapism is a prolonged erection, usually painful, that occurs in the absence of sexual desire or stimulation, is not relieved by masturbation or intercourse and is the consequence of a mismatch in the regulatory mechanisms that initiate penile erection and those that allow its detumescence. One of the main causes of low-flow priapism is the use of drugs with an α-adrenergic antagonist effect, among which antipsychotic drugs stand out. Our objective is to present a clinical case and review the literature on the use of antipsychotics in medicine, psychiatry and other specialties and their relationship with the dose of the psychoactive drug in the onset of priapism. We present a 23-year-old male patient, single, with a significant history of mild Autism, for which he has received regular treatment with 6 mg daily of risperidone. He started experiencing priapism spontaneously for the last 4 days until a family member took him to the Emergency Room – intense, persistent and painful penile erection. Given the failure of the initial medical treatment for priapism, it was decided to perform multiple distal cavernous-cancellous shunts with improvement after 72 hours and discharge of the patient. We understand that there is a high affinity of antipsychotics for the α 1-adrenergic receptor, risperidone has an α 1 antagonist capacity. In fact, the third cause of priapism cases induced by atypical antipsychotics is secondary to risperidone, including recent cases associated with its parenteral depot presentation RisperdalConsta®.

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding has great benefits for both the mother and the child. Few studies have been carried out on interventions to improve Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) practice by childbearing mothers. No study has formulated and/or implemented a hospital-based maternal counseling guide intervention to improve EBF practice. This baseline study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice of EBF on mothers who were enrolled in antenatal clinics for a cluster randomized trial and the disparity in the knowledge of EBF based on lactation, age, sex, and source of income.Methods: We formulated a hospital-based counseling guide on exclusive breastfeeding, which is under implementation by prenatal and nursing mothers, to promote EBF practice in the study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals randomly selected from twelve hospitals in Anambra State. The study was among pregnant women who were in their second trimester. The data collection took place from March to April 2022. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square. The test of significance was set at p < 0.05.Results: The control and the intervention arms had an equal number of enrolees (144) each and more than half of the participants were between the ages of 23 – 32 years. The majority of the participants showed adequate knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding as over 90% knew that EBF is important and capable of improving their baby's immunity. The participants demonstrated a positive attitude to exclusive breastfeeding and they had a significantly high level of practice of daily consumption of galactagogues. The study suggested that the majority did not practice breast milk extraction mainly because the process of extraction is painful and some do not know how to carry out the extraction.Conclusion: The mothers have the requisite knowledge of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding to their infants and themselves. However, they do not practice EBF. Interventions to improve EBF practice should focus on educating mothers on proper breast milk extraction and storage techniques.

There are few reported cases of meningitis in pregnancy and presentation can be variable in each patient which may cause diagnostic challenges and potential delays in treatment. Here, we discuss a case of aseptic meningitis - a 36 years old Gravida 2 Para 1 pediatric physician with “the worst headache of her life” at 31+5 weeks of gestation. At presentation, she did not have any of the classic triads of meningitis (fever, neck stiffness, and/or a change in mental status) and did not report any neurological symptoms. In view of persistent headache, development of pyrexia, and evolving symptoms of photophobia, she was referred to a neurology specialist, and a lumbar puncture was performed. Findings were in line with meningitis and the polymerase chain reaction confirmed enterovirus meningitis. Although aseptic meningitis is rare, it should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with persistent complaints, development of associated symptoms of pyrexia, photophobia, and neck pain, as well as in patients with increased risk of exposure to viral illnesses.

Elbow hemiarthroplasty (EHA) is a highly effective procedure for treating various elbow joint disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fractures involving the articular surface of the distal humerus. It involves replacing the entire distal humerus with a prosthesis and reattaching the supporting soft tissues. The EHA provides significant pain relief, improves joint function, and increases patient satisfaction, with minimal complications that can be easily managed. This case study demonstrates the value of EHA as a viable treatment option for distal humerus fractures in older adults with moderate activity levels, as a superior alternative to osteosynthesis.

Monkeypox is a sylvatic zoonotic sickness that initially affected tropical rainforest areas in the west and vital Africa earlier than spreading to other places. Its miles carried with the aid of the Monkeypox virus member of orthopoxvirus circle of relatives. The clinical features of the infection resembles to smallpox. The primary animal to human transmission is the cause of most people of human Monkeypox ailments. Severe rodent species and non-human primates function hosts for the virus. Transmission can manifest with infected people, animals or objects into contact with bodily fluids, sores on the skin or inner mucosal surfaces just like the mouth or throat, or breathing droplets. The incubation length for Monkeypox usually lasts 6 to 13 days, even though it could last as long as 21 days. The ailment is often self-proscribing, with signs and symptoms generally clearing up on their own inside 14 to 21 days. Signs can range from moderate to extreme, and lesions may be itchy or painful. Due to the discontinuation of recurring smallpox vaccination which supplied some pass- safety in past, populations have become more liable to Monkey pox. The outbreak of Monkeypox virus due to the fact that may additionally, 2022 has created a worldwide risk of the virus. In the present review, Monkeypox epidemiology, severity, therapeutics, vaccination and its transmission to non-endemic countries has been considered. Special care and guidelines may help in the containing in the spread of the infections to the non endemic countries.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the association between sleep quality, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and laboratory findings in patients presenting with the complaint of leg pain due to varicose veins.Materials and Methods: A total of 160 patients with leg pain were included in this study. Sleep quality was assessed using the PSQI, and laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate ferritin, iron, vitamin B12, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and hemoglobin levels. Statistical analyses were performed using the independent t-test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables.Results: Patients with poor sleep quality had a significantly higher prevalence of leg pain complaints compared to those with good sleep quality (p < 0.001). Females were more likely to report poor sleep quality (p = 0.006). No significant associations were found between sleep quality and age, smoking status, alcohol use, or pack/year of smoking. Patients with poor sleep quality had significantly lower ferritin levels (p = 0.008), lower albumin levels (p = 0.031), and lower hemoglobin levels (p = 0.036) compared to patients with good sleep quality. However, no significant differences were observed in other laboratory parameters.Conclusion: The findings suggest a significant association between poor sleep quality and leg pain complaints in patients with varicose veins. Lower ferritin, albumin, and hemoglobin levels in patients with poor sleep quality may indicate potential underlying mechanisms linking sleep quality and leg pain. Addressing sleep quality issues in patients with leg pain could improve overall well-being and treatment outcomes.