Articles: opioid.
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Delphi study to explore a new diagnosis for "ineffective" long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain.
A challenge in clinical, research, and policy spheres is determining whether and how to apply the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5 Opioid Use Disorder criteria to patients receiving long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for the management of chronic pain. This study explored perspectives on the merits of creating a new diagnostic entity to characterize the problems that arise for certain patients prescribed LTOT and develop consensus on its definition and diagnostic criteria. We conducted 3 rounds of online surveys and held one discussion-based workshop to explore a new diagnostic entity and generate consensus with subject matter experts (n = 51) in pain and opioid use disorder, including a wide range of professional disciplines. ⋯ A subgroup of expert panelists further refined the new diagnostic entity definition and criteria. Consensus on potential criteria for the new diagnostic entity was reached and further refined by a subgroup of experts. This Delphi study represents the opinions of a small group of subject matter experts; perspectives from other experts and additional stakeholder groups (including patients) are warranted.
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Oxycodone is commonly used by pregnant women for the treatment of pain. However, the potential risk associated with its use in pregnancy have not been robustly evaluated. The objective of this study was to examine neonatal outcomes associated with prenatal oxycodone exposure. ⋯ The use of oxycodone in pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies. However, oxycodone exposure was associated with a short period of gestation, preterm birth, and NAS, which likely contributed to a longer period of hospitalization following birth. PERSPECTIVE: This article assesses the neonatal risks associated with prenatal exposure to oxycodone, providing clinicians and patients with important information on the safety of oxycodone in the treatment of pain in pregnancy.
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Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN) is one of the major complications of diabetes. Currently, centrally acting drugs and topical analgesics are used for treating PDPN. These drugs have adverse effects; some are ineffective, and treatment with opioids is associated with use dependence and addiction. ⋯ Application of RTX cream to the hind limbs suppresses thermal hyperalgesia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and mini pigs without any adverse effects as compared with capsaicin at therapeutic doses, which induces intense pain during application. Resiniferatoxin cream also decreases the expression of TRPV1 in the peripheral nerve endings and suppresses TRPV1-mediated calcitonin gene-related peptide release in the skin samples of diabetic rats and mini pigs. Our preclinical data confirm that RTX topical formulation is an effective treatment option for PDPN.
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Guidelines for the determination of death by neurologic criteria (DNC) require an absence of confounding factors if clinical examination alone is to be used. Drugs that depress the central nervous system suppress neurologic responses and spontaneous breathing and must be excluded or reversed prior to proceeding. If these confounding factors cannot be eliminated, ancillary testing is required. ⋯ In these contexts, it is often difficult to predict how long after drug discontinuation the confounding effects will take to dissipate. We propose a conservative framework for evaluating when or if DNC can be determined by clinical criteria alone. When pharmacologic confounders cannot be reversed, or doing so is not feasible, ancillary testing to confirm the absence of brain blood flow should be obtained.
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Observational Study
Cigarette smoking, opioid consumption, and pain intensity after major surgery: An observational study.
Chronic exposure to nicotine may change pain perception and promote opioid intake. This study aimed to evaluate the putative effect of cigarette smoking on opioid requirements and pain intensity after surgery. ⋯ Current cigarette smokers experienced higher acute pain, had more IV-PCA infusion requests, and consumed more opioids after surgery. Multimodal analgesia with nonopioid analgesics and opioid-sparing techniques, along with smoking cessation should be considered for this population.