Articles: opioid.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jul 2021
Postoperative opioid use after lobectomy for primary lung cancer: A propensity-matched analysis of premier hospital data.
To evaluate opioid administration after robotic lobectomy (RL) compared with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and open lobectomy in patients with lung cancer. ⋯ Patients undergoing RL for primary lung cancer received opioids less frequently, and with lower total and average daily doses, compared with those undergoing VATS and open lobectomy. Studies are needed to determine whether early opioid dosage reductions translate into less chronic opioid use.
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Chronic pain is a major public health concern, as is the associated use of opioid medications, highlighting the importance of alternative treatments, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Here, we present the final 24-month results of the Avalon study, which investigated the use of the first closed-loop SCS system in patients with chronic pain. The system measures the evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) elicited by each stimulus pulse and drives a feedback loop to maintain the ECAP amplitude near constant. ⋯ Over a 24-month period, the Evoke closed-loop SCS maintained its therapeutic efficacy despite a marked reduction in opioid use and steady decrease in the need for reprogramming.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Jul 2021
Bilateral Erector Spinae Blocks Decrease Perioperative Opioid Use After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.
The present study examined the feasibility and efficacy of continuous bilateral erector spinae blocks for post-sternotomy pain in pediatric cardiac surgery. ⋯ Bilateral erector spinae blocks were associated with a reduction in opioid use in the first 48 hours after pediatric cardiac surgery compared with a matched cohort from the enhanced recovery program. Larger studies are needed to determine whether this can result in an improvement in recovery and patient satisfaction.
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Recent data indicate that patients treated in the emergency department for an ankle sprain receive multiple medications. However, research has not been able to accurately identify all the medications because of study limitations. The primary purpose of this study was to document the type of medication, number of doses, and number of encounters given a prescription at discharge or instructions to take over-the-counter medication. The secondary purpose was to determine if the proportion of encounters given each type of medication varied on the basis of age, sex, race, and year. ⋯ Patients are primarily given an opioid or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in the emergency department. Fewer patients receive a prescription at discharge but are regularly instructed to take over-the-counter medication.