Articles: opioid.
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Gabapentin and pregabalin (gabapentinoids), are increasingly prescribed to children and adolescents off-label for various conditions, despite limited data and concerns for adverse outcomes including misuse and overdose. The extent of gabapentinoid use in children and adolescents is unknown. ⋯ Gabapentinoid receipt among US children and adolescents has increased. Future research can explore factors associated with prescribing including changing epidemiology of pain and psychiatric diagnoses in children and adolescents. Prescribing clinicians should carefully consider the potential risks and benefits of gabapentinoids in clinical practice.
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We developed the National Institutes of Health helping to end addiction long-term initiative morphine milligram equivalent (MME) calculator to standardize MME calculations across pain research studies, addressing a critical barrier to effective research synthesis and meta-analysis. The tool provides evidence-based mapping factors for 29 opioids through a research electronic data capture-based calculator and companion Web site (research-mme.wakehealth.edu). Development involved systematic evidence evaluation of literature from 1949 to March 2024, following PRISMA guidelines. ⋯ The calculator features options to analyze results with or without buprenorphine, accommodating its emerging role in pain research. This standardized framework enables researchers to map opioid doses using consistent, evidence-based ratios and harmonize data collection across research networks. While the tool represents a significant advance in standardizing MME calculations for research, limitations in the underlying evidence base highlight the need for continued validation through clinical research.