Background & Aims

After many years of multidrug use for analgesia, chronic pain sufferers tend to either find no relief or simply minimal relief, resulting in refractory pain. The introduction of the use of ketamine, lidocaine and magnesium infusions has changed the quality of life and perception of pain of many patients. The survey aims to determine if the infusions really improve the quality of patients lives and how patients can quantify that improvement.

Methods

Patient survey and questionnaire, some open-ended, some close-ended questions

Results

All patients undergoing regular infusions reported a marked improvement in coping with pain symptoms and an improvement in performing activities of daily living.
Patients also reported a decreased use in regular analgesic medications, as a result of the infusions

Conclusions

Regular therapeutic infusions correlate directly to an improvement in quality of life and improvement in overall experience of pain and illness.

References

1. Gisèle Pickering, Bruno Pereira, Véronique Morel, Alexandrine Corriger, Fatiha Giron, Fabienne Marcaillou, Assiya Bidar-Beauvallot, Evelyne Chandeze, Céline Lambert, Lise Bernard, Noémie Delage; Ketamine and Magnesium for Refractory Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized, Double-blind, Crossover Trial. Anesthesiology 2020; 133:154–164 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/ALN.0000000000003345

2. Julia Striebel, Wilhelm Ruppen, and Tobias Schneider; Simultaneous application of lidocaine and ketamine during ambulatory infusion therapy: a retrospective analysis. Pain Management 2023 13:9, 539-553

3. Boleslav Kosharskyy, MD1, Wilson Almonte, MD1, Naum Shaparin, MD1, Marco Pappagallo, MD2, and Howard Smith, MD; Intravenous Infusions in Chronic Pain Management; Pain Physician 2013; 16:231-249

4. M. F. M. James; Magnesium: an emerging drug in anaesthesia; British Journal of Anaesthesia 103 (4): 465–7 (2009)

Presenting Author

Patricia Molyneaux

Poster Authors

Rennessa Williams

Mb BcH BAO MRCPI

University Hospital Limerick

Lead Author

E-mail

Khadija Haffejee

MBBCh (WITS)

University Hospital Limerick

Lead Author

E-mail

Patricia Molyneaux

BSc Nursing

University Hospital Limerick

Lead Author

E-mail

James Shannon

FCARCSI FFPMRCA MSc

University Hospital Limerick

Lead Author

E-mail

Topics

  • Specific Pain Conditions/Pain in Specific Populations: Neuropathic Pain - Central