Treatment of patients with neuropathic pain and provision of drug information by clinical pharmacists

Abstract Patient's satisfaction with healthcare services has an influence on pain management, which can be improved by patient education. Therefore, this study was aimed at identifying primary care health service opportunities in the treatment of neuropathic pain and assessing patients' satisfaction with the provision of drug information by clinical pharmacists. This was a cross- sectional, prospective study conducted at a pain unit during March-May 2017. Patients aged >18 years; diagnosed with neuropathic pain; and who used amitriptyline, gabapentin, pregabalin, or duloxetine were included. They were verbally informed about drug treatment by a clinical pharmacist, and their satisfaction was evaluated after 1 month. In all, 90 patients were included. The median duration for which the patients experienced pain until hospital admission was 3.6 years; furthermore, this duration was longer among women (p < 0.05). However, the median time to seeking advice from doctors was 3 months. The patients (15.6%) were less likely to admit pain unit initially and 46.7% had visited different units before being admitted to a pain unit. More than 95% of the patients indicated that they had received information from a pharmacist at a clinic and were satisfied with the provision of information (median duration, 8.5 min). Thus, the involvement of pharmacists in multidisciplinary pain management may help improve health- related outcomes at hospitals and/or in community care settings

Changes in peripheral innervation and nociception in reticular type and erosive type of oral lichen planus.

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory lesion in oral mucosa. Reticular (OLP-R) and erosive (OLP-E) types of OLP are the common forms that have been found in dental clinics. The aim of this investigation is to determine the correlation between neurogenic inflammation and nociception associated with OLP-R and OLP-E. Materials and Methods: The oral mucosal lesions from six patients with OLP-E, four with OLP-R and three with noninflamed oral mucosa, which represent normal mucosa, were identified by morphometric analysis of nerve fibers containing immunoreactive protein gene product (PGP) 9.5. The level of inflammation was measured with hematoxylin and eosin staining and the level of nociception was analyzed with visual analog scale measurement. Results: We found that 1) an increase in peripheral innervation was related to the size of the area of inflammatory cell infiltration from both OLP-R and OLP-E; 2) the pattern of PGP 9.5-immunoreactivity among OLP-R and OLP-E was not significantly different (P=0.23); and 3) the correlation between nociception and an increase in PGP 9.5-immunoreactivity was not found in OLP-E and in OLP-R. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that an increase in peripheral innervation may lead to increased inflammation, which is part of the immunopathogenesis of OLP. Differences in nociception between OLP-R and OLP-E arise from the pathogenesis of each lesion, not from the differences in peripheral innervation.

Topical Glycopirrolate for the Management of Hyperhidrosis in Herpetic Neuralgia

Herpes zoster is a relapse of varicella. In certain cases, long-term pain and hyperhidrosis have been noted. Appearance of herpes zoster during pregnancy is infrequent. We described hyperhidrosis and pain treatment using glycopirrolate cream in a pregnant woman with herpetic neuralgia. A 32 year old woman, 21 weeks pregnant with second child, complained to her gynecologist of the appearance of a vesicular rash on the left half of the forehead that progressed toward her left eyelid, accompanied by lancinating pain, allodynia, hyperhidrosis and small edema, blepharitis and conjunctivitis. Following clinical and laboratory tests, she was diagnosed with herpes zoster ophtalmicus. Aciclovir therapy was administered 800 mg orally five times daily for seven days. Pain therapy was initiated with amitriptilline. We discontinued amitriptilline therapy after 10 days because of appearance of unwanted side effects. After skin changes ceased, we introduced Lidocaine patch into pain therapy which reduced the allodynia, but not the lancinating pain and hyperhidrosis. At that time we began using glycopirrolate cream which reduced pain intensity by 28.5% within 24 hours, and completely eliminated hyperhidrosis. After 48 hours of use, the pain completely disappeared. During the Glycopirrolate cream therapy, there were no side effects. This is a first report to document that a topical Glycopirrolate cream has a beneficial effect in a patient with hyperhidrosis and herpetic neuralgia.

Síndrome de Ramsay y Hunt: reporte de un caso y revisión bibliográfica / Ramsay Hunt syndrome: a case report and review of literature

El Síndrome de Ramsay Hunt es una parálisis facial periférica (PFP) aguda asociada a otalgia y ampollas herpéticas en piel del pabellón de la oreja y del conducto auditivo externo. Debida a inflamación del nervio facial ocasionada por reactivación del virus de la varicela zoster. (VVZ). Es más frecuente en inmunodeprimidos y después de los 50 años. Enfermedad rara, autolimitada y su pronóstico es bueno. El diagnóstico es básicamente clínico. Paciente masculino de 27 años de edad, con enfermedad de dos semanas de evolución, caracterizada por debilidad, sensación de ardor en región temporal izquierda; posteriormente otalgia, aparición de eritema maculopapular, que evolucionó a vesículas en región temporo-parieto-occipital, hemicuello y hombro izquierdo. Luego presentó PFP. Antecedente de varicela a los 8 años. Se demostró VVZ a través de inmunofluorescencia directa de muestra de suero y biopsia de piel. El paciente fue tratado con: Aciclovir, Prednisona, Ketoprofeno. Nuestro caso corresponde a un síndrome de Ramsay Hunt tipo 2, consiste en PFP, dolor periauricular, lesiones herpéticas en pabellón auricular, conducto auditivo externo, cara, cuero cabelludo o cuello, sin afectación del VIII Par craneal. Para confirmar la clínica, la inmunofluorescencia directa se escogió como método diagnóstico por ser más sensible que el cultivo, de costo accesible y procesamiento rápido. El VVZ es muy lábil y d¡fícil de aislar. El paciente respondió bien al tratamiento, desapareciendo la neuralgia postherpetica y la parálisis facial completamente a los 27 días de su egreso.

Gluteal neuralgia - unusual presentation in an adult with intrasacral meningocele: a case report and review of literature.

A nineteen year old man with intrasacral meningocele is reported, who presented with long standing episodic gluteal pain and progressive muscle wasting. Magnetic resonance imaging established the diagnosis. Surgical excision relieved the pain but muscle wasting persisted. Pertinent literature is reviewed.