Articles: narcotic-antagonists.
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Case Reports
Naloxegol to Treat Constipation in a Patient Taking Opioids for Cancer Pain: A Case Report.
Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a common gastrointestinal adverse effect of opioids, which can severely affect compliance and adherence to pain medication regimens and quality of life. Naloxegol has demonstrated efficacy against OIC in several studies involving patients with nonmalignant chronic pain. Here we report efficacy and tolerability of naloxegol in a 68-year-old patient with metastatic lung cancer and severe pain, treated with opioids, who presented with OIC resistant to traditional measures. Addition of naloxegol produced rapid improvement in his OIC symptoms and no apparent adverse effects while taking extended-release morphine 130 mg orally every 12 hours.
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To investigate buprenorphine exposures among children and adolescents ≤19 years old in the United States. ⋯ Buprenorphine is important for the treatment of opioid use disorder, but pediatric exposure can result in serious adverse outcomes. Manufacturers should use unit-dose packaging for all buprenorphine products to help prevent unintentional exposure among young children. Health providers should inform caregivers of young children about the dangers of buprenorphine exposure and provide instructions on proper medication storage and disposal. Adolescents should receive information regarding the risks of substance abuse and misuse. Suspected suicide accounted for 12% of adolescent exposures, highlighting the need for access to mental health services for this age group.
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Eur. J. Clin. Pharmacol. · Jul 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialPharmacokinetics and -dynamics of intramuscular and intranasal naloxone: an explorative study in healthy volunteers.
This study aimed to develop a model for pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies of naloxone antagonism under steady-state opioid agonism and to compare a high-concentration/low-volume intranasal naloxone formulation 8 mg/ml to intramuscular 0.8 mg. ⋯ A target-controlled infusion of remifentanil provides good conditions for studying the pharmacodynamics of naloxone, and pupillometry was a better modality than heat pain threshold. Intranasal naloxone 0.8 mg is inferior for a similar dose intramuscular. Our design may help to bridge the gap between studies in healthy volunteers and the patient population in need of naloxone for opioid overdose.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Jul 2018
Naloxone laws facilitate the establishment of overdose education and naloxone distribution programs in the United States.
The opioid overdose crisis in the United States continues to worsen. Opioid overdose mortality is entirely preventable with timely administration of naloxone. Since 2001, many states have passed laws to create an enabling environment for the implementation of overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs. We assessed whether state-level naloxone laws and their provisions stimulated the implementation of OEND programs in the United States. ⋯ Our findings suggest that naloxone laws facilitated the implementation of OEND programs. With only 8% of counties having an OEND program within them, future studies should investigate strategies to improve the implementation of OEND programs.
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Med. Clin. North Am. · Jul 2018
ReviewPreventing Opioid Overdose in the Clinic and Hospital: Analgesia and Opioid Antagonists.
Drawing from existing opioid prescribing guidelines, this article describes how medical providers can reduce the risk of overdose. Through primary prevention, providers can prevent initial exposure and associated risks by educating patients, using risk stratification, minimizing opioid dose and duration, and avoiding coprescribing with sedatives. ⋯ Tertiary prevention includes treating opioid use disorders and providing naloxone to prevent overdose death. Specific preventive strategies may be required for those with psychiatric disorders or substance use disorders, adolescents, the elderly, and pregnant women.