[Antalgic treatment of acute herpes zoster. A clinical contribution]. / Trattamento antalgico dell'herpes zoster acuto. Contributo clinico.

The paper considers the difficulty of pain control in acute herpes zoster and the considerable incidence of NPH in patients given the conventional medical therapies. After a short account of physiopathology of herpetic pain, the treatment of acute cases with epidural or sympathetic blockages using anaesthetics and cortisone is proposed. Personal experience in a series of patients with either acute herpes zoster or NPH who were treated with this method is reported with details of peculiarities and results.

[Postoperative thromboembolism: preventive use of calcium heparin in low doses]. / Le tromboembolie post-operatorie: impiego preventivo della eparina calcica a bassi dosaggi.

The problem of post-operative thromboembolism is re-examined and the progress made in the prevention of venous stasis and hypercoagulability reviewed. The high incidence of asymptomatic phlebitic phenomena is noted and personal experience of the use of low doses of Calcium heparin in 415 patients undergoing various types of operation is reported. Eight patients had chronic duodenal ulcers. A notable reduction in the incidence of post-operative thromboembolism was confirmed. The value of this preventive method is thus demonstrated, as is the usefulness of analysing haemostatic balance in patients with one or more risk factors for thromboembolism in order to "personalize" the dosage and duration of treatment with Calcium heparin.

[Postoperative pain and methods for its control]. / Studio del dolore post-operatorio e delle modalità di controllo.

Research was conducted into post-operative pain and possible means for its control. A total of 66 patients subdivided into 3 groups were studied. In order to document analgesic effectiveness, pain was measured by two subjective methods--Huskisson's Visual Analogue and the "SCORE" index. Patients' anxiety was assessed pre-operatively by a suitably modified tourniquet test. The groups of patients were subdivided according to the analgesic agent used: 1st group (herniectomies, appendicectomies) Baralgina f. 1; 2nd group (cholecystectomies, hysterectomies) Talwin f. 1; 3rd group (cholecystectomies, hysterectomies) Baralgina f. 1 + Talwin f. 1. The latter combination proved to be satisfactory and guaranteed a sufficiently calm post-operative period. On the basis of the data obtained, it is recommended that anaesthesiological procedures include analgesic cover that exploits the action of Phentanyl as an analgesic agent and neurovegetative stabilizer and is to be used at the start of the operation. For operations lasting more than 60 minutes, a combination of Baralgina and Talwin or Buprenorfina may be administered during the post-operative period.