Anesthesiology & Pain Management

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Practitioners might soon rely on a new procedure to alleviate severe chronic pain resulting from cancer, osteoarthritis or surgery. Resiniferatoxin (RTX), first isolated in the 1970s, has been administered during a series of clinical studies to kill specific nerve cells while leaving others untouched.

Las Vegas-Industry leaders just formed the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) to increase awareness, recognition and treatment of animal pain by educating students, veterinarians and hospital staff members.

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Colic, or abdominal pain, is a relatively common problem that develops in horses of all ages. Practitioners in the field of equine medicine should be familiar with the various conditions that can contribute to abdominal pain. Once a clinical evaluation has been performed the practitioner will be able to narrow the differential list to establish a working diagnosis.

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Treatment of painful conditions in horses has relied largely on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for much of the last 25 years. For example, flunixin meglumine (Banamine®) and phenylbutazone (Butazolidin®) have dominated the market for treatment of colic and lameness respectively. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that these drugs also have some side effects, most notably gastrointestinal ulceration.