Articles: opioid-analgesics.
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Review Meta Analysis
What proportion of patients with chronic noncancer pain are prescribed an opioid medicine? Systematic review and meta-regression of observational studies.
Guidelines now discourage opioid analgesics for chronic noncancer pain because the benefits frequently do not outweigh the harms. We aimed to determine the proportion of patients with chronic noncancer pain who are prescribed an opioid, the types prescribed and factors associated with prescribing. Database searches were conducted from inception to 29 October 2018 without language restrictions. ⋯ Strong opioids were more frequently prescribed than weak (18.4% (95% CI 16.0-21.0%, n = 15 studies, low-quality evidence), versus 8.5% (95% CI 7.2-9.9%, n = 15 studies, low-quality evidence)). Meta-regression determined that opioid prescribing was associated with year of sampling (more prescribing in recent years) (P = 0.014) and not geographic region (P = 0.056). Opioid prescribing for patients with chronic noncancer pain is common and has increased over time.
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Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Ultrashort- to Long-acting Opioid Analgetics. By Feldman PL, James MK, Brackeen MF, Bilotta JM, Schuster SV, Lahey AP, Lutz MW, Johnson MR, Leighton HJ. J Med Chem 1991; 34:2202-8. ⋯ The discrepancies between the in vitro and in vivo activities and variations in duration of action are probably due to different rates of ester hydrolysis by blood esterase(s). The [structure-activity relationships] with respect to analgesic activity and duration of action as a function of the various esters synthesized is discussed. It was also demonstrated that the duration of action for the ultrashort-acting analgetic, 8, does not change upon prolonged infusion or administration of multiple bolus injections.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · May 2020
Review Comparative StudyPain Management in Patients with Serious Illness.
Managing pain in patients with serious illness can be complex. However, pain is often a prominent symptom in patients with malignant and nonmalignant serious illness and providers have to be adept at balancing effective pain management and safety. ⋯ Opioids are not always appropriate but are still an important tool for managing pain. Basic opioid management and safe practices are essential when managing this population.
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Opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) is a phenomenon whereby opioids increase patients' pain sensitivity, complicating their use in analgesia. We explored practitioners' attitudes towards, and knowledge concerning diagnosis, risk factors, and treatment of OIH. ⋯ Most clinicians agreed that OIH is a complication of opioid therapy, but were divided regarding the prevalence of OIH, etiological factors, and optimal management.
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Out-of-hospital naloxone has been championed as a lifesaving solution during the opioid epidemic. However, the long-term outcomes of out-of-hospital naloxone recipients are unknown. The objectives of this study are to describe the 1-year mortality of presumed opioid overdose victims identified by receiving out-of-hospital naloxone and to determine which patient factors are associated with subsequent mortality. ⋯ Opioid overdose identified by receiving out-of-hospital naloxone with clinical improvement carries a 13-fold increase in mortality compared to the general population. This suggests that this is a high-risk population that deserves attention from public health officials, policymakers, and health care providers in regard to the development of long-term solutions.