Articles: opioid-analgesics.
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Meta Analysis
Effect of epidural vs parenteral opioid analgesia on the progress of labor: a meta-analysis.
Epidural labor analgesia, if selected by the patient, is associated with high cesarean delivery rates. Results of randomized trials comparing rates of cesarean delivery using epidural anesthesia vs parenteral opioids are inconsistent. ⋯ Epidural labor analgesia is not associated with increased rates of instrumented vaginal delivery for dystocia or cesarean delivery. Patients receiving epidural analgesia have longer labors. Patient satisfaction and neonatal outcome are better after epidural than parenteral opioid analgesia.
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The regional application of opioids close to the spinal cord by using pumps induces a pain reduction comparable to the systemic medication of the WHO analgesic ladder. However, this method does not reduce the side effects of these drugs, e.g. nausea, vomiting, dysfunctional bladder emptying, and obstipation. ⋯ Catheters and port systems have to be revised in 15% of all cases. Therefore, the indication for this method has to be considered carefully and includes the following criteria: pain of somatic origin, exclusion of mental diseases and psychogenic causes of pain, causal therapy is exhausted, insufficient effects of peripheral analgesics and co-analgesics, oral or transdermal opioids are insufficient despite dosages resulting in side-effects, pain is sensible to opioids, regional application of opioids has been tested effective before implantation.
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Meta Analysis
Systematic review of factors affecting the ratios of morphine and its major metabolites.
In a systematic review of 57 studies with information on 1232 patients we examined the effect of age, renal impairment, route of administration, and method of analysis on the ratios of morphine-3-glucuronide:morphine (M3G:M) and morphine-6-glucuronide:morphine (M6G:M) and the relative concentrations of M3G and M6G. Across all studies the range of the ratios of metabolites to morphine was wide (0.001-504 for M3G:M, and 0-97 for M6G:M). Neonates produced morphine glucuronides at a lower rate than older children or adults. ⋯ There was no evidence of differences between methods of assay. There was a high correlation between the two glucuronide metabolites in spite of the different situations studied, supporting a single glucuronidating enzyme. Morphine was present in CSF at a fourfold higher concentration than the glucuronide metabolites.
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Meta Analysis
Systematic overview of co-proxamol to assess analgesic effects of addition of dextropropoxyphene to paracetamol.
To evaluate the comparative efficacy and tolerability of paracetamol-dextropropoxyphene combination and paracetamol through a systematic overview of randomised controlled trials. ⋯ On the basis of data on analgesic efficacy and acute safety in both head to head and indirect comparisons, there is little objective evidence to support prescribing a combination of paracetamol and dextropropoxyphene in preference to paracetamol alone in moderate pain such as that after surgery.
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The analgesic effectiveness and safety of oral tramadol were compared with standard analgesics using a meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomised controlled trials in patients with moderate or severe pain after surgery or dental extraction. Calculation of %maxTOTPAR from individual patient data, and the use of > 50%maxTOTPAR defined clinically acceptable pain relief. Number-needed-to-treat (NNT) for one patient to have > 50%maxTOTPAR compared with placebo was used to examine the effectiveness of different single oral doses of tramadol and comparator drugs. ⋯ There was a dose response with tramadol, tending towards higher incidences at higher doses. Single-patient meta-analysis using more than half pain relief provides a sensitive description of the analgesic properties of a drug, and NNT calculations allow comparisons to be made with standard analgesics. Absolute ranking of analgesic performance should be done separately for postsurgical and dental pain.