Lancet
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Opioid analgesia for acute low back pain and neck pain (the OPAL trial): a randomised placebo-controlled trial.
Opioid analgesics are commonly used for acute low back pain and neck pain, but supporting efficacy data are scarce. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a judicious short course of an opioid analgesic for acute low back pain and neck pain. ⋯ National Health and Medical Research Council, University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine and Health, and SafeWork SA.
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Communicable disease control has long been a focus of global health policy. There have been substantial reductions in the burden and mortality of communicable diseases among children younger than 5 years, but we know less about this burden in older children and adolescents, and it is unclear whether current programmes and policies remain aligned with targets for intervention. This knowledge is especially important for policy and programmes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to use the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 to systematically characterise the burden of communicable diseases across childhood and adolescence. ⋯ The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence for Driving Investment in Global Adolescent Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Comment Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomised trial reveals opioids relieve acute back pain no better than placebo.