Prognosis of Arachnoiditis

Monday, 08 November 2010 20:38
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This is short unedited version of the extract of a chapter written for Aldrete's book - The Silent Epidemic written by DocSarah the chapter Prognosis of Arachnoiditis

 

"It is important to note that diagnosed as compared with undiagnosed patients show marked similarities of clinical presentation and more pertinently, of history, with matching causative events. Patients tend avidly to seek a diagnosis in the hope of treatment. As we know, there is no curative treatment. Thus one might argue that a diagnosis is not the most important aspect of patient care. Nevertheless, we should pursue diagnosis diligently for three main reasons:  firstly, on an individual level, patients may feel validated after years of being dismissed. Secondly, although active curative treatment is not yet available, steps can be taken to manage the symptoms appropriately, including avoiding exacerbating factors such as further invasive interventions. Thirdly, in a wider arena, we need to establish the true incidence of the condition and its prevalence within different patient communities, for example obstetric patients (who may be rendered disabled by a medical procedure having presented completely fit and well)."

Just a short extract to explain the importance of the questionnaire's diverse answers.