Articles: human.
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Opioid drugs have powerful antidiarrheal effects and many patients taking these drugs for chronic pain relief experience chronic constipation that can progress to opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. Three classes of opioid receptors are expressed by enteric neurons: μ-, δ-, and κ-opioid receptors (MOR, DOR, and KOR). MOR and DOR couple to inhibition of adenylate cylase and nerve terminal Ca(2+) channels and activation of K(+) channels. ⋯ Tolerance develops to the analgesic effects of opioid receptor agonists but not to the constipating actions. This may be due to differential β-arrestin-2-dependent opioid receptor desensitization and internalization in enteric nerves in the colon compared with the small intestine and in neuronal pain pathways. Further studies of differential opioid receptor desensitization and tolerance in subsets of enteric neurons may identify new drugs or other treatment strategies of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction.
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Evid Based Child Health · Sep 2014
ReviewCombined and alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen therapy for febrile children.
Health professionals frequently recommend fever treatment regimens for children that either combine paracetamol and ibuprofen or alternate them. However, there is uncertainty about whether these regimens are better than the use of single agents, and about the adverse effect profile of combination regimens. ⋯ There is some evidence that both alternating and combined antipyretic therapy may be more effective at reducing temperatures than monotherapy alone. However, the evidence for improvements in measures of child discomfort remains inconclusive. There is insufficient evidence to know which of combined or alternating therapy might be more beneficial.Future research needs to measure child discomfort using standardized tools, and assess the safety of combined and alternating antipyretic therapy.
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Evid Based Child Health · Sep 2014
ReviewProbiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and nosocomial sepsis are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. Through prevention of bacterial migration across the mucosa, competitive exclusion of pathogenic bacteria, and enhancing the immune responses of the host, prophylactic enteral probiotics (live microbial supplements) may play a role in reducing NEC and the associated morbidity. ⋯ Probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious disease that affects the bowel of premature infants in the first few weeks of life. Although the cause of NEC is not entirely known, milk feeding and bacterial growth play a role. Probiotics (dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeast) have been used to prevent NEC. Our review of studies found that the use of probiotics reduces the occurrence of NEC and death in premature infants born weighing less than 1500 grams. There is insufficient data with regard to the benefits and potential adverse effects in the most at risk infants weighing less than 1000 grams at birth.
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Summary Current guidelines recommend the administration of hormonal combination therapy including immunosuppressive doses of corticosteroids to donors with low left ventricular ejection fractions and to consider hormonal therapy administration to all donors. However, these recommendations are largely based on observational data. The aim of this systematic review (SR) was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of corticosteroids in brain-dead potential organ donors. ⋯ Overall quality of included studies was poor, as most of them presented high risks of confounding. This SR highlights the low quality and conflicting evidence supporting the routine use of corticosteroids in the management of organ donors. A large trial evaluating the effect of corticosteroids on outcomes such as organ recovery and graft survival is warranted.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Sep 2014
ReviewTherapeutic challenges in cancer pain management: a systematic review of methadone.
The proven therapeutic efficacy of methadone in cancer pain is hindered by a challenging pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic profile, considerable interpatient variation, and increasing concern about the complexities of dosing. The objective of this study was to assess the evidence for the use of methadone in cancer pain management. The authors conducted a systematic literature search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published post the 2007 Cochrane review of methadone in cancer pain. ⋯ Methadone has an important role in the management of cancer pain, with many advantages including low cost, high oral bioavailability, rapid onset of action, once-daily dosing, and postulated benefits in difficult pain control scenarios. However, due to limited research in this area, methadone dosing remains a challenge, with vigilant dose initiation, adjustment, and monitoring required. There is a need for further studies using standardized methodology to evaluate the optimal dosing strategy of methadone, the effect on different types of pain, and the role of pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics in clinical outcomes.