Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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To examine psychophysical and brain activation patterns to innocuous and painful thermal stimulation along a continuum of healthy older adults. ⋯ Advancing age may lead to altered thermal sensation and (in some circumstances) altered pain perception secondary to age-related changes in attention/novelty detection and cognitive functions.
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An increasing number of individuals are prescribed buprenorphine as medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Our institution developed guidelines for perioperative buprenorphine continuation with an algorithm for dose reduction based upon the surgical procedure and patient's maintenance dose. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of buprenorphine continuation with those of discontinuation on postoperative pain scores and outpatient opioid dispensing. ⋯ There was a significant reduction in opioid prescriptions filled, MME dispensed, and PACU pain scores in patients where buprenorphine was continued vs held perioperatively. We provide evidence to support that buprenorphine can be continued perioperatively and that continuation is associated with decreased postoperative pain and decreased outpatient opioid dispensing. These results contribute to the existing literature supporting the perioperative continuation of buprenorphine.
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We quantified opioid prescribing after the 2014 rescheduling of hydrocodone from schedule III to II in the United States using a state-wide prescription database and studied trends three years before and after the policy change, focusing on certain specialties. ⋯ The 2014 federal rescheduling of hydrocodone was associated with declines in hydrocodone prescriptions in Ohio beyond what had already been occurring, and hydrocodone may have been briefly substituted with codeine. These results indicate that rescheduling did have a lasting effect but affected prescribing specialties variably.
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To evaluate the extent to which pain-related beliefs, appraisals, coping, and catastrophizing differ between countries, language groups, and country economy. ⋯ In 50% or more of the studies, mean scores in the measures of pain beliefs and appraisals, coping responses, and catastrophizing were significantly different between people from different countries.
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Examine the interrelationship between smoking and pain in the US population. ⋯ Current smoking is associated with pain in every region of the body. This association is strongest for spine and head pain. Given that pain is a strong motivator and that current smoking was associated with pain in all body regions, we recommend that these results be used to further raise public awareness about the potential harms of smoking.