Evaluation of thoracic sympathetic ganglion block as a predictor for response to ketamine infusion therapy and spinal cord stimulation in patients with chronic upper extremity pain.
Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) September 1, 2024 Jeongsoo Kim, Hangaram Kim, Jae Eun Kim et al. 1 citation
A retrospective study at a single tertiary hospital examined whether a positive response to thoracic sympathetic ganglion block (TSGB) predicts outcomes of ketamine infusion therapy (KIT) and spinal-cord stimulation (SCS) in patients with chronic upper-extremity pain, including complex regional pain syndrome. Among 33 patients who received KIT, 60.6% reported a pain reduction of at least 2 points on a 0-10 scale. Positive TSGB response occurred in 70.0% of KIT responders, significantly higher than the 30.8% in non-responders, with a sevenfold increased odds of positive KIT outcome. Among 32 SCS patients, 68.8% experienced short-term effectiveness; positive TSGB response was 45.5% in responders versus 0.0% in non-responders.