Articles: back-pain.
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We examined the proportion of patients initiating extended-release (ER) opioids who become long-term users and describe how pain-related diagnoses before initiation of opioid therapy vary between drugs and over time. ⋯ In a national sample of adults with private insurance, back pain was the most common diagnosis preceding initiation of opioid therapy. Opioids that have been approved within the last 10 years were more frequently associated with musculoskeletal pains and less frequently associated with cancer. Amid increasing concerns regarding long-term opioid therapy, our findings provide context regarding the conditions for which long-term opioid therapy is prescribed.
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To compare imaging and clinical features of fungal and Staphylococcus aureus discitis-osteomyelitis (DO) for patients presenting for CT-guided biopsies. ⋯ • MRI features of discitis-osteomyelitis (focal partial soft tissue abnormality and partial involvement of the disc/endplate) in combination with clinical features may help to predict fungal species as a causative organism for DO.
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Was the patient's treatment, or his underlying condition, to blame?