Carta en respuesta al artículo titulado "Temblor ortostático secundario al uso recreativo de disolventes" / Reply to "Orthostatic tremor secondary to recreational use of solvents"

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Permanent lesion of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve after low-volume ethanol 96%application on the lumbar sympathetic chain.

Lumbar sympathetic blocks and chemical sympathectomies are used for the pain treatment of peripheral arterial occlusive disease or sympathetically maintained pain syndrome after nerve injury or complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). A 30-year-old patient was referred to the pain department with all the clinical signs and symptoms of a CRPS of the right foot one and a half years after being surgically treated for rupture of the achilles tendon. An inpatient admission was necessary due to insufficient pain reduction upon the current treatment, strong allodynia in the medial distal right lower leg and decreased load-bearing capacity of the right foot. A computed tomography (CT)-guided lumbar sympathetic block at the right L3 (Bupivacaine 0.5%, 4 mL) led to a skin temperature increase from 21° C before block to > 34° C for about 5 hours after the intervention. The patient experienced significant pain relief, indicating sympathetically maintained pain. Thus, we performed a CT-guided lumbar sympathetic neurolysis at the same level (ethanol 96%, 2 mL) 5 days later, achieving again a significant skin temperature increase of the right foot and a slight reduction of his pain intensity from numeric rating scale (NRS) 7 prior to the intervention to NRS 4 after 8 hours (NRS, 0 = no pain, 10 = strongest pain imaginable). Eight months later a repeated inpatient admission was necessary due to considerable pain relapse and decreased load-bearing capacity of his right foot. A CT-guided lumbar sympathetic neurolysis was repeated at the L4 level on the right side and was successful, inducing a significant skin temperature increase. Despite a temporary irritation of the genitofemoral nerve 8 hours after the intervention, a delayed irritation of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve occurred. This was a long-lasting lesion of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve following a CT-guided chemical sympathectomy with a low-volume ethanol 96% application - a complication which has not been described in literature until now. This is probably caused by broad dissemination of the neurolytic agent along the psoas muscle despite a correct needle position and spread of contrast agent. The development of this nerve injury even after injection of a small volume of ethanol (2 mL) may be delayed.

[The response of the blood proteins to ablation of the capsaicin-sensitive nerves].

Effects of neurotoxic doses of capsaicin (150 mg/kg) on the protein content in electrophoretic fractions (PAAG) in the Wistar rat plasma were studied. In early period (7 days) after administration of capsaicin, an increase of the alpha1-, alpha2-globulins and a decrease of the albumin, gamma-globulins, were observed. After 14-30 days, increase of the albumin and decrease of the alpha1-, gammay-globulins were detected. The ablation of the capsaicin-sensitive nerves abrogated the changes of positive and negative acute phase reactants induced by zymosan and diminished the content of gamma-globulins.

Critical care requirements after mass toxic agent release.

There is an increasing risk of mass exposure of civil populations after release of toxic agents. These include military chemical warfare agents or industrial compounds, some of which have been used as a chemical. The traditional military divisions among chemical agents, toxins, and biologic agents may be viewed as a continuous spectrum of hazards. Each of these has four specific qualities (toxicity, latency, persistency, and transmissibility), which determine management of casualties and the toxic release. Toxic hazards may be released accidentally or deliberately, producing potentially large numbers of casualties. Previous incidents have shown that many of these require extended hospital care. This article reviews aspects of the nature of the toxic agents, the pathophysiology they produce, and therapeutic measures. The central and peripheral nervous systems and the respiratory systems are particularly vulnerable and may lead to fatal results unless early action is taken. Specific antidotes and life support care is required at all levels of prehospital and hospital management. Critical care management is required for severe cases, and this must combine continuing antidote, ventilatory and supportive therapy.