Articles: opioid.
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The use of opioids in surgeries for morbidly obese patients could cause respiratory depression. Therefore, alternative analgesics are needed to improve anesthetic management for obese patients. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of dexmedetomidine and clonidine on pain as well as analgesic consumption at 24 h postoperatively in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric sleeve. The secondary objective was to compare patients' and surgeons' satisfaction. ⋯ This study concluded that clonidine and dexmedetomidine yielded similar outcomes with a difference in pain and analgesic consumption at 12 h postoperatively.
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Opioids activate glia in the central nervous system in part by activating the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation 2 (MD2) complex. TLR4/MD2-mediated activation of glia by opioids compromises their analgesic actions. Glial activation is also hypothesized as pivotal in opioid-mediated reward and tolerance and as a contributor to opioid-mediated respiratory depression. ⋯ Minocycline had no effect on respiratory depression in vitro. Finally, the respiratory depression evoked in anesthetized rats by tail vein infusion of fentanyl was unaffected by subsequent injection of (+)naloxone, but completely reversed by (-)naloxone. These data indicate that neither activation of microglia in preBötC nor TLR4/MD2-activation contribute to opioid-induced respiratory depression.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Peripheral opioid receptor blockade increases postoperative morphine demands - a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Experimental studies suggest that a large proportion of opioid analgesia can be mediated by peripheral opioid receptors. This trial examined the contribution of such receptors to clinical analgesia induced by intravenous morphine. We hypothesized that the selective blockade of peripheral opioid receptors by methylnaltrexone (MNX) would increase the patients' demand for morphine to achieve satisfactory postoperative pain relief. ⋯ Secondary endpoints were similar in all groups (P>.05). Thus, a significant proportion of analgesia produced by systemically administered morphine is mediated by peripheral opioid receptors. Drugs that selectively activate such receptors should have the potential to produce powerful clinical pain relief.
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Opioid analgesics are commonly and increasingly prescribed by physicians for the management of chronic pain. However, strong evidence supports the need for strategies that reduce opioid use. The objective of this review is to outline limitations associated with opioid use and discuss therapeutic techniques that can be adopted to optimize the use of opioids in the management of chronic nonmalignant pain. ⋯ Appropriate patient selection through identification of risk factors, urine drug testing, and access to prescription monitoring programs has been shown to effectively improve care. Structured opioid therapy in a multimodal platform, including use of a low initial dose, prescription of alternative non-opioid analgesics including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen, as well as development of written care agreements to individualize and guide therapy has also been shown to improve patient outcomes. Implementation of opioid allocation strategies has the potential to encourage appropriate opioid use and improve patient care.