Work

Sympathetic block with botulinum toxin to treat complex regional pain syndrome

Year: 2009

Type: article

Abstract: Complex regional pain syndrome is a refractory pain condition with few tested therapies. We hypothesized that botulinum toxin A (BTA) would prolong analgesia after sympathetic blocks in patients with complex regional pain syndrome. We compared the duration of standard lumbar sympathetic block (LSB) with bupivacaine to LSB with bupivacaine and BTA in nine patients with refractory complex regional pain syndrome. Median time to analgesic failure was 71 (95% confidence interval, 12-253) days after LSB with BTA compared with fewer than 10 days (95% confidence interval, 0-12) after standard LSB (log-rank, p < 0.02). BTA profoundly prolonged the analgesia from sympathetic block in this preliminary study.

Source: Annals of Neurology

DOI: 10.1002/ana.21601

Authors: Ian Carroll, J. David Clark, Sean Mackey

Institutions: Stanford Medicine, Stanford University, VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Language: English

Topic: Pain Management and Treatment

Subfield: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Drug Abuse