The Budapest Criteria: Establishing a Diagnosis
Over the past few decades, there has been a lot of medical research that has yielded new diagnostic and treatment options for dangerous diseases and deadly injuries, leading to many lives saved. Unfortunately, some serious problems, such as chronic pain, have not seen the same advances. While many people think of chronic pain as something that impacts the elderly, this is also a major problem in children. According to a study published in a journal called Children, and found in the PubMed research study database:
- About a quarter to a third of all children worldwide have experienced severe pain at some point in their lives
- More than 10 percent of all children who have been treated in a hospital setting have shown symptoms consistent with chronic pain
- Around 3 percent of children who have developed chronic pain have required intensive rehabilitation to help them manage their symptoms
- Chronic pain involving children costs the healthcare system of the United States about $20 billion each year
These statistics demonstrate that chronic pain can impact children as well as adults. One of the conditions that can cause someone to suffer from chronic pain is called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Those who suffer from this disease are often frustrated because they only receive this diagnosis after a battery of unsuccessful tests, incorrect diagnoses, and (in some cases) hospital stays. Therefore, it is important for everyone to understand what the diagnostic criteria are. This will help people receive the correct diagnosis sooner.
The Budapest Criteria: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and the Proper Diagnosis
The Budapest Criteria is the set of criteria that are needed to diagnose someone with RSD. The Budapest Criteria are as follows:
- Pain that continues for some time after the traumatic accident and is out of proportion to the original injury
- Lacking a diagnosis that better explains the symptoms
- Having a symptom in three of the following four areas:
- Sensory: Hypersensitivity to touch
- Vasomotor: Issues with temperature, color, or asymmetry of the affected limb
- Edema: Development of unusual sweating or swelling of the affected limb
- Motor: A loss of range of motion, weakness, tremor, contractures, or changes in the hair, nails, or skin of the limb.
These criteria were derived from a research study of around 700 patients who had already been diagnosed with RSD. Over the subsequent years, these criteria have proven to be accurate in quickly and efficiently diagnosing people with this challenging chronic pain condition. The faster someone can be diagnosed with RSD, the sooner treatment can begin. This can make a significant difference in the progression of their symptoms and their quality of life.
After the Diagnosis: Treatment Options
Once someone has been diagnosed with RSD, treatment can begin. The treatment of RSD is multifaceted and is dependent on finding something that will work for the individual patient and their family members. Examples of possible treatment options include:
Oral Pain Medications: This means starting low and going slow. Tylenol and Ibuprofen are often tried first because these have limited side effects and target the inflammation that causes the symptoms. If this doesn’t work, narcotic and opioid medications such as Vicodin and Percocet can be tried. Because these have addictive potential and dangerous side effects, the use of these medications is minimized.
Nerve Injections: Nerve injections involve identifying the specific nerve that is causing the pain (through electromyography, abbreviated EMG) and then injecting this nerve with a dose of an anesthetic, such as lidocaine. If successful, this can provide patients with weeks to months of pain relief before another injection is given.
Surgery: In extreme cases, surgery can be used to physically cut the nerve that is causing the symptoms. This can cause a permanent loss of motor and sensory function, so this is reserved for severe cases; however, for those with intractable pain, this could be the only option.
A Legal Professional is Helpful
Ultimately, receiving the proper treatment is dependent on finding the right diagnosis. The Budapest Criteria can help patients, and medical providers reach this point. Treating RSD is dependent on a well-rounded approach with numerous healthcare providers and medical specialists. In addition to this, meeting with an RSD attorney in Sacramento can be helpful as well. The circumstances surrounding the accident and the diagnosis of RSD deserve to be examined to ensure that no detail has been overlooked. Help is available and all anyone needs to do is ask for it. You and your family could be entitled to receive financial compensation if your injury was caused by the negligence of another.
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Contact an Experienced RSD Attorney in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, an RSD Lawyer in Sacramento. If someone you know needs legal assistance with their diagnosis of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, please call me at 916-382-0693. I am here to provide friendly, free legal advice.
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Image Citation: Pixabay produced the image at the start of this article. The CC0 Creative Commons License has granted permission to print it here.
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