Articles: opioid.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Dec 2020
EditorialOpioid Stewardship: Building on Antibiotic Stewardship Principles.
The opioid stewardship model is born out of the antimicrobial stewardship model, and thus there are many shared characteristics. Both opioid stewardship and antimicrobial stewardship are based on the principle that there is an indication for a particular medication in the right patient at the right time. As antimicrobial stewardship is in a later stage of development, looking at the two in parallel can lead to interesting learning and development opportunities for opioid stewardship. Two requirements of antimicrobial stewardship that need to be applied to opioid stewardship for optimum outcomes are the requirement for dedicated resources, more specifically a trained pharmacist, and a declaration that opioid stewardship is essential for health-system accreditation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Reduced postoperative pain using Nociception Level-guided fentanyl dosing during sevoflurane anaesthesia: a randomised controlled trial.
The majority of postoperative patients report moderate to severe pain, possibly related to opioid underdosing or overdosing during surgery. Objective guidance of opioid dosing using the Nociception Level (NOL) index, a multiparameter artificial intelligence-driven index designed to monitor nociception during surgery, may lead to a more appropriate analgesic regimen, with effects beyond surgery. We tested whether NOL-guided opioid dosing during general anaesthesia results in less postoperative pain. ⋯ www.trialregister.nl under identifier NL7845.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Dec 2020
Acetaminophen in Patients Receiving Strong Opioids for Cancer Pain.
The mainstay of treatment in advanced cancer pain is opioids; however, non-opioid medications such as acetaminophen continue to be included in guidelines despite a lack of clear, convincing evidence for their use. The aim of our study was to determine if acetaminophen improves pain control or reduces opioid utilization in hospitalized patients receiving strong opioids for cancer pain managed by the palliative care consult service (PCCS). We carried out at single-center retrospective cohort study of 194 adult cancer patients seen by the PCCS and who received strong opioids. ⋯ There was no difference between groups in achieving a 30% reduction in pain (35.8% vs. 35.4%, adjusted odds ratio 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.46 to 1.63). Acetaminophen was associated with a longer LOS (8 days vs. 6 days, adjusted relative risk 1.67, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.15). In this study of cancer patients receiving strong opioids, acetaminophen use was not associated with improved pain control or reduced opioid utilization, but was associated with a greater LOS.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2020
Observational StudyOxycodone prescribing in the emergency department during the opioid crisis.
Misuse of prescription opioids is a significant public health issue in Australia. There has been a rapid rise in prescription opioid use, with an associated increase in overdose and death. The over-prescribing of oral opioids, especially oxycodone, in the ED has been identified as a contributor to this problem overseas. It is unclear if similar practice occurs in the Australian ED. The primary aim of our study was to identify the incidence of oral oxycodone administration to patients within the ED. The secondary outcome was to identify the incidence of oxycodone prescribed to patients on discharge from the ED into the community. ⋯ There is a higher incidence of oxycodone prescribing in the Australian ED than previously recognised. An overuse of oxycodone may be contributing to adverse patient outcomes and a public health crisis. Hospitals should consider appropriate steps to reduce the incidence of opioid prescribing and the supply of these medications into the community.