Articles: analgesics.
-
Critical care nurse · Aug 2023
Protocolization of Analgesia and Sedation Through Smart Technology in Intensive Care: Improving Patient Safety.
The risk of medication errors in intensive care units is high, primarily in the drug administration phase. ⋯ Protocolization and centralization of the preparation of high-alert sedative and analgesic medications for critically ill patients and the administration of these drugs using smart pump technology decrease variability of clinical practice and intercept potentially serious medication errors.
-
Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2023
Prevalence of preoperative opioid usage and its impact on postoperative outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.
Preoperative opioid treatment increases postoperative adverse events. This study was aimed to analyze preoperative opioid prevalence in countries with low opioid consumption. Additionally, the effect of low opioid usage on postoperative outcomes was also investigated. ⋯ Preoperative opioid usage was one-tenth of the United States average. Despite its low prevalence and small dosage, preoperative opioid usage was associated with poor postoperative outcomes. Dedicated perioperative interventions to prevent opioid-associated adverse events should be developed even in countries with low opioid consumption.
-
Prescribing of strong opioids and antibiotics impacts patient safety, yet little is known about the effects GP wellness has on overprescribing of both medications in primary care. ⋯ This study found higher rates of prescribing of strong opioids and antibiotics in practices with GPs with more burnout symptoms, greater job dissatisfaction, and turnover intentions; working longer hours; and in practices in the north of England serving more deprived populations.
-
Recent recommendations on starting dose, smaller dose increments, and longer intervals between dose increase have the potential to increase the safety of ziconotide administration in addition to improving its value for money. Ziconotide is not routinely commissioned in England, with one of the concerns being whether it represents the best use of resources. The aim of this project is to conduct a budget impact analysis to estimate the costs or savings associated with the changes in ziconotide dosage in addition to its use in combination with morphine for the management of cancer pain. ⋯ The results of this budget impact analysis suggest that although a combination of intrathecal ziconotide in combination with morphine is associated with higher costs to the health care system in England, the incremental costs are not significant. Routine commissioning of ziconotide alone or in combination with morphine would provide an alternative for a population with limited ITDD treatment options.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Aug 2023
ReviewPerioperative gabapentin usage in pediatric patients: A scoping review.
There has been a recent focus among anesthesiologists on reducing the use of perioperative opioids in favor of multimodal analgesic regimens. Gabapentin has played an integral role in this evolution of practice. This comprehensive review assesses the current clinical evidence on the efficacy of perioperative gabapentin regarding postoperative pain and opioid requirements among the pediatric surgery population. ⋯ The current data on perioperative gabapentin in pediatric patients are insufficient to support the routine use of gabapentin in pediatric patients. Additional high-quality RCTs with more standardized protocols for gabapentin administration and outcome measures are necessary to provide more definitive conclusions.