Military Medicine Comes Up with Novel Treatments for Phantom Limb Pain WASHINGTON — Medical innovations have allowed for a greater number of limbs to be preserved than in prior conflicts, but amputation still is needed for many injuries. What sometimes baffles clinicians and often disturbs patients is that, even with the body part removed, discomfort can remain through a phenomenon known as phantom limb pain. An estimated 85% to 90% of patients have phantom limb pain at some stage after an amputation. Now, some novel treatments have been devised.More
Expert Advice to Help VA PCPs Reduce Opioid Prescribing Risks MINNEAPOLIS — For primary care providers in the VA healthcare system, the use of opioid therapy to alleviate chronic pain requires an ongoing balance of risks and benefits for each patient, a challenge made more difficult by the sheer number of veterans seeking treatment. Careful initial assessment, an opioid agreement with patients and regular follow-up can reduce the risks while providing relief to patients for whom the therapy is indicated and effective, experts told U.S. Medicine.More
Specialty Update: PTSD
Telemental Healthcare Beneficial For Rural Vets with PTSD A new study suggests that providing more telemental health could have an especially beneficial effect on treatment of rural veterans with PTSD. The study published in the June issue of Psychiatric Services concluded that health-service use by veterans with PTSD in rural areas is lower than veterans living in urban areas and that telemental health services could help. The study assessed the number of annual visits by 414,748 veterans with PTSD who sought care from October 2007 through September 2008 at VA facilities. More
Specialty Update: Sleep Disorders
CPAP Use Improves Sexual Function in Younger Men While continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) improves rest and conditions related to sleep disruption, it has another benefit especially important to patients: an improvement in sexual function and satisfaction. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center researchers assessed the erectile function and libido of 92 nondiabetic men who were newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and prescribed CPAP therapy. Almost half of the men in the study had complained of erectile dysfunction before starting treatment. In assessments after one, three and six months of CPAP therapy, the majority of the study participants reported improved sexual function and satisfaction.More
Brenda L. Mooney Editorial Director, U.S. Medicine mooney@usmedicine.com 39 York Street Lambertville, NJ 08530
WASHINGTON — Medical innovations have allowed for a greater number of limbs to be preserved than in prior conflicts, but amputation still is needed for many injuries. What sometimes baffles clinicians and often disturbs patients is that, even with the body part removed, discomfort can remain through a phenomenon known as phantom limb pain. An estimated 85% to 90% of patients have phantom limb pain at some stage after an amputation. Now, some novel treatments have been devised.
