Articles: function.
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
[Opioids in chronic low back pain : A systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy, tolerability and safety in randomized placebo-controlled studies of at least 4 weeks duration.]
The efficacy and safety of opioid therapy in chronic low back pain (CLBP) is under debate. We updated a recent systematic review on the efficacy and safety of opioids in CLBP. ⋯ Opioids were superior to placebo in terms of efficacy and inferior in terms of tolerability. Opioids and placebo did not differ in terms of safety during the study period. The conclusion on the safety of opioids compared to placebo is limited by the low number of serious adverse events and deaths. Short-term and intermediate-term opioid therapy may be considered in selected CLBP patients. The English full-text version of this article is freely available at SpringerLink (under "Supplemental").
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisDrug-induced long QT syndrome and fatal arrhythmias in the intensive care unit.
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a genetic or acquired condition characterised by a prolonged QT interval on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) and is associated with a high risk of sudden cardiac death because of polymorph ventricular tachyarrhythmia called Torsade de Pointes arrhythmia. Drug-induced LQTS can occur as a side effect of commonly used cardiac and non-cardiac drugs in predisposed patients, often with baseline QT prolongation lengthened by medication and/or electrolyte disturbances. Hospitalised patients often have several risk factors for proarrhythmic response, such as advanced age and structural heart disease. ⋯ Overdrive cardiac pacing is highly effective in preventing recurrences, and antiarrhythmic drugs should be avoided. Recent data suggest that QT prolongation is quite common in ICU patients and adversely affects patient mortality. Thus, high-risk patients should be sufficiently monitored, and the use of medications known to cause drug-induced LQTS might have to be restricted.