Articles: opioid.
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Observational Study
Profiles of Urine Drug Test in Clinical Pain Patients vs Pain Research Study Subjects.
To examine similarities and differences in urine drug test (UDT) results in clinical pain patients and pain subjects participating in pain research studies. ⋯ These results support previous findings that PUD is a common finding in clinical pain patients, particularly in those prescribed opioid therapy, and we suggest that UDT be used as routine screening testing in pain research studies.
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Multicenter Study
Increased Risk of Depression Recurrence After Initiation of Prescription Opioids in Noncancer Pain Patients.
Several studies have shown that chronic opioid analgesic use is associated with increased risk of new-onset depression. It is not known if patients with remitted depression are at increased risk of relapse after exposure to opioid analgesics. A retrospective cohort design using patient data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA; n = 5,400), and Baylor Scott & White Health (BSWH; n = 842) was performed with an observation period in the VHA from 2002 to 2012 and in the BSWH from 2003 to 2012. Eligible patients had a diagnosis of depression at baseline and experienced a period of remission. Risk of depression recurrence was modeled in patients that either started taking an opioid or continued without opioid prescriptions before or during remission. Cox proportional hazard models were used to measure the association between opioid use and depression recurrence controlling for pain, and other confounders. Patients exposed to an opioid compared with those unexposed had a significantly greater risk of depression recurrence in both patient populations (VHA: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.01-2.34; BSWH: HR = 1.77; 95% CI, 1.42-2.21). These results suggest opioid use doubles the risk of depression recurrence even after controlling for pain, psychiatric disorders, and opioid misuse. Further work is needed to determine if risk increases with duration of use. Repeated screening for depression after opioid initiation may be warranted. ⋯ In 2 large patient cohorts with large differences in demographic characteristics and comorbidity, patients with remitted depression who were exposed to opioid analgesics were 77% to 117% more likely to experience a recurrence of depression than those who remained opioid -free. Routine, not just at initiation of treatment, screening for depression is warranted.
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Opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OIBD) is an increasing problem due to the common use of opioids for pain worldwide. It manifests with different symptoms, such as dry mouth, gastro-oesophageal reflux, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, anorexia, hard stools, constipation and incomplete evacuation. Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is one of its many symptoms and probably the most prevalent. The current review describes the pathophysiology, clinical implications and treatment of OIBD. ⋯ It is the belief of this Nordic Working Group that increased awareness of adverse effects and OIBD, particularly OIC, will lead to better pain treatment in patients on opioid therapy. Subsequently, optimised therapy will improve quality of life and, from a socio-economic perspective, may also reduce costs associated with hospitalisation, sick leave and early retirement in these patients.
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Pain management in the elderly has increasingly become problematic in the USA as the aged population grows. The proportion of the population over 65 continues to climb and may eclipse 20 % in the next decade. In order to effectively diagnosis and treat these patients, a proper history and physical exam remain essential; pain assessment scales such as the Verbal Descriptor Scales (VDS), the Numerical Rating Scales (NRS), and the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) often but not always prove beneficial. ⋯ While the normal aging process does not necessarily guarantee symptoms of chronic pain, elderly individuals are far more likely to develop these painful conditions than their younger counterparts. There are many effective treatment modalities available as potential therapeutic interventions for elderly patients, including but not limited to analgesics such as NSAIDs and opioids, as well as multiple interventional pain techniques. This review will discuss chronic pain in the elderly population, including epidemiology, diagnostic tools, the multitude of co-morbidities, and common treatment modalities currently available to physicians.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2016
Association Between Tobacco Use, Symptom Expression, Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use in Advanced Cancer Patients.
Limited knowledge exists examining the association between smoking status, symptom expression, and alcohol or illicit drug use. ⋯ In advanced cancer, patients who were former or current smokers were significantly more likely to have a history of CAGE positivity and illicit drug use compared with never smokers. Current smokers expressed significantly higher pain. A smoking history may be a marker of an increased risk of opioid misuse.