British journal of anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Evidence of opioid-induced hyperalgesia in clinical populations after chronic opioid exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is well documented in preclinical studies, but findings of clinical studies are less consistent. The objective was to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining evidence for OIH in humans after opioid exposure. ⋯ OIH was evident in patients after chronic opioid exposure, but findings were dependent upon pain modality and assessment measures. Further studies should consider evaluating both pain threshold and pain tolerance across a range of modalities to ensure assessment validity. Significant subgroup findings suggest that potential confounders of pain judgements, such as illicit substance use, affective characteristics, or coping styles, should be rigorously controlled in future studies.