| Abstrakt: |
Pain is a common symptom in patients with advanced cancer, but in the majority of patients the pain is well controlled with conservative management techniques. In a small proportion of patients (5–10%) more invasive analgesia regimens are required, including the use of peripheral nerve blocks, where pain arises within the territory of a major peripheral nerve or plexus. These blocks may be single-shot injections of long-acting local anaesthetic performed using standard approaches to the nerve. More commonly, perineural or plexus infusions are employed using special nerve sheath catheters through which infusions of local anaesthetic drugs are administered for weeks or even months, according to the severity of the pain and the patient's life expectancy. Placing the catheters and controlling the infusion can be technically demanding and the catheters require careful attention to detail to avoid infection, blockage or accidental removal throughout the duration of the infusion. |
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