Neurostimulation leads, intrathecal catheters and anchoring devices evolution

Many scientific studies highlight the usefulness of spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal therapy for the management of chronic pain syndromes resistant to pharmacological or less invasive interventional therapies. One of the possible complications of these techniques, reported in literature, is migration of the lead or catheter; thus the use of an anchoring system is considered mandatory. Every company that produces devices for neurostimulation or neuromodulation provides various anchoring devices evolved over time. In the study, the authors discuss about the most common anchoring devices based on their clinical experience

Neurostimulation leads, intrathecal catheters and anchoring devices evolution

Many scientific studies highlight the usefulness of spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal therapy for the management of chronic pain syndromes resistant to pharmacological or less invasive interventional therapies. One of the possible complications of these techniques, reported in literature, is migration of the lead or catheter; thus the use of an anchoring system is considered mandatory. Every company that produces devices for neurostimulation or neuromodulation provides various anchoring devices evolved over time. In the study, the authors discuss about the most common anchoring devices based on their clinical experience

Evolution in clinical and demographic characteristics of chronic pain patients affering to a Second Level Pain Unit - Evoluzione delle caratteristiche cliniche e demografiche dei pazienti con dolore cronico afferenti a un Servizio di Terapia del Dolore di Secondo Livello

Chronic pain is a common condition related to many diseases. In Italy, as in the rest of Europe, about 20 percent of adults report moderate to severe chronic pain, but very few patients refer to pain specialists and nearly half receive inadequate pain management. This leads to low health-related quality of life and psychological problems with costly issues in the Italian Health Care system. Epidemiologic studies, through an understanding of chronic pain characteristics, report the development, targeting and evaluation of interventions. In this retrospective observational study we analyzed the clinical and demographic data of a population referred for the first time, in 2014, to a specialist, in the second level Pain Unit, Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Pavia. The aim was also to evaluate the improvement of pain management in our country after the approval of Law 38/2010 on the institution of the network for Palliative care, comparing the results with a previous similar survey in 2008. We conclude that in Italy patients refer to a Pain clinic very late which causes an increase in the duration of pain and the risk of overlapping factors toward chronicity, even though we noted an improvement compared to 2008

Decay rate of antiS1/S2 IgG serum levels after 6 months of BNT162b2 vaccination in a cohort of COVID-19-naive and COVID-19-experienced subjects

Vaccination toward SARS-CoV-2 reduced mortality and ‘boosters’ are being implemented. We offer scientific contribution about IgG production in the COVID-19 experienced population. From January 2021 to March 2021, 183 residents and staff from the Elderly Nursing Home “San Giuseppe Moscati” who had received two doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine were enrolled. The antibody response was assessed by the DiaSorin LIAISON-CLIA S1/S2® IgG solution. Cutoff levels for response (>39 BAU/mL) and neutralizing activity (>208 BAU/mL) were derived from DiaSorin official data. Serology was assessed before and after the first vaccination, and 2 weeks and 6 months after the second vaccination. Anti-S IgG in COVID-19 experienced, baseline IgG producers spiked after the first vaccination to median 5044 BAU/mL and decayed at 6 months to 2467.4 BAU/mL. Anti-S IgG in COVID-19 experienced, baseline IgG non-producers spiked after the second vaccination to median 1701.7 BAU/mL and decayed at 6 months to 904.8 BAU/mL. Anti-S IgG in COVID-19 naïve subjects spiked after the second vaccination to median 546 BAU/mL and decayed at 6 months to 319.8 BAU/mL. The differences between sequential timepoint levels in each group were statistically significant (p < .0001). Serology analysis revealed different kinetics between COVID-19 experienced subjects depending on baseline response, possibly predicting different IgG persistence in blood