Pain physician
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Sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone (buprenorphine SL) is a preparation that is used to treat opioid dependence. In addition, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has acknowledged the legality of an off-label use to treat pain with a sublingual buprenorphine preparation. Buprenorphine SL is unique among the opioid class of analgesics; this compound has a high affinity for the mu-receptor, yet only partially activates it. Thus, buprenorphine SL can provide analgesia, yet minimize opioid side effects. Many patients on high doses of traditional opioid medication develop tolerance. Despite escalating medication dosage, a subset of patients had a paradoxical increase in pain, which has been characterized as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). Buprenorphine SL, on the other hand, may even be anti-hyperalgesic and may have utility in treating these challenging patients. ⋯ Patients continuing buprenorphine SL therapy for more than 60 days reported significant decreases in pain (2.3 points). Patients on doses of opioid medication between 100-199 mg morphine equivalents seemed to fare better with conversion to buprenorphine SL than patients on the highest doses (> 400 mg morphine equivalents). The opioid drug used by the patient before buprenorphine SL induction appears to have some effect on buprenorphine SL conversion success. Patients previously taking morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl had the greatest decrease in pain after conversion to buprenorphine SL.
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Review Meta Analysis
The long-term incidence of subsequent vertebral body fracture after vertebral augmentation therapy: a systemic review and meta-analysis.
Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have recently been used to treat painful osteoporotic compression fractures. Early clinical results have been encouraging, but very little is known about the consequences of augmentation with cement for adjacent, unaugmented levels. ⋯ Although vertebral augmentation therapies, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, have been widely used in clinics to treat patients' back pain caused by vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis, no evidence shows that they can increase the fracture of adjacent vertebral bodies.
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Chronic mid back and upper back pain caused by thoracic facet joints has been reported in 34% to 48% of patients based on responses to controlled diagnostic blocks. Systematic reviews have established moderate evidence for controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks of thoracic facet joints in the diagnosis of mid back and upper back pain, moderate evidence for therapeutic thoracic medial branch blocks, and limited evidence for radiofrequency neurotomy of thoracic medial branches. ⋯ The evidence for therapeutic facet joint interventions is fair for medial branch blocks, whereas it is not available for intraarticular injections, and limited for radiofrequency neurotomy due to lack of literature.
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Opioid therapy is one of the most effective forms of analgesia currently in use. In the past few decades, the use of opioids as a long-term treatment for chronic pain has increased dramatically. Accompanying this upsurge in the use of long-term opioid therapy has been an increase in the occurrence of opioid associated endocrinopathy, most commonly manifested as an androgen deficiency and therefore referred to as opioid associated androgen deficiency (OPIAD). ⋯ OPIAD can have a significant negative impact on the the quality of life of opioid users, and clinicians should anticipate the potential for its occurrence whenever long-term opioid prescribing is undertaken. Once diagnosed, treatment for OPIAD may be offered utilizing a number of androgen replacement therapy options including a variety of testosterone preparations and, for female patients with OPIAD, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation. Follow-up evaluation of patients receiving androgen replacement therapy should include a review of any unresolved symptoms of hypogonadism, laboratory evaluation, and surveillance for potential adverse effects of androgen replacement therapy including prostate disease in males.: