Articles: opioid.
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Pain afflicts patients suffering from many chronic diseases and is present in 80% of cases of patients with advanced cancer who suffer from persistent pain. The aim of the pain treatment is to achieve the maximum analgesic effect while minimizing side effects. ⋯ The paper presents a case of a 45-year-old patient who was treated effectively with oxycodone/naloxone prolonged-release tablets. This treatment has proven to be effective in providing pain and constipation control.
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NeuroRehabilitation · Jan 2013
ReviewNeuropsychological and neuroanatomical sequelae of chronic non-malignant pain and opioid analgesia.
The pervasive disease of chronic pain is a common challenge for the clinical rehabilitation professional. Concurrent with physical and emotional symptoms, pain-related cognitive impairment has been reported. Although opioid analgesics are frequently prescribed, concern exists that opioids possess adverse cognitive effects of their own. ⋯ To date, evidence from opioid studies suggests only mild deficits in specific cognitive domains (e.g., memory, attention/concentration) and only under specific conditions (e.g., dose escalations). Additionally, neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence suggests that pain itself results in cognitive sequelae. Methodological improvements in future research will allow for better delineation of the contributing effects of pain and opioids, with an overall goal of improving evidence-based clinical treatment recommendations.
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Semin. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jan 2013
ReviewThe state of the art in preventing postthoracotomy pain.
Pain after thoracic surgery can be intense and prolonged. Inadequate pain management can have several detrimental effects, including increased postoperative morbidity and delayed recovery as well as occurrence of postthoracotomy syndrome. Therefore, establishing an adequate analgesic regimen for thoracic surgery is critical. ⋯ When these techniques are either contraindicated or not possible, intercostal analgesia or intrathecal opioids are recommended. These techniques should be combined with nonopioid analgesics, such as acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or cyclooxygenase-2-specific inhibitors, administered on a regular "round-the-clock" basis, with opioids used as "rescue" analgesics. Finally, the integration of multimodal analgesia techniques with multidisciplinary rehabilitation program can enhance recovery, reduce hospital stay, and facilitate early convalescence.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2013
Long-term opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain: unproven efficacy and neglected safety?
For the past 30 years, opioids have been used to treat chronic nonmalignant pain. This study tests the following hypotheses: (1) there is no strong evidence-based foundation for the conclusion that long-term opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain is effective; and (2) the main problem associated with the safety of such treatment - assessment of the risk of addiction - has been neglected. ⋯ There is no strong evidence-based foundation for the conclusion that long-term opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain is effective. The above identified signs indicating neglect of addiction associated with the opioid treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain were present.
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More and more cancer patients receive surgery and chronic pain control. Cell-mediated immunosuppression from surgical stress renders perioperative period a vulnerable period for tumor metastasis. Retrospective studies suggest that regional anesthesia reduces the risk of tumor metastasis and recurrence. ⋯ It will be interesting to examine the therapeutic potential of peripheral opioid antagonists against malignancy. Volatile anesthetics are organ-protective against hypoxia, however; this very protective mechanism may lead to tumor growth and poor prognosis. In this review, we examine the direct effects of anesthetics in tumor progression in hope that a thorough understanding will help to select the optimal anesthetic regimens for better outcomes in cancer patients.