Current medical research and opinion
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Successful treatment of chronic low back pain (LBP) is difficult in clinical practice and hard to measure in trials. One reason might be the use of insufficient outcome parameters. The aim was to investigate the importance of typical clinical characteristics of chronic LBP on QoL and functionality. ⋯ Results suggest the consideration of impairment of QoL and functionality in addition to symptom intensity for treatment evaluation of chronic LBP. This can help to improve overall well-being of the patients and enhance efficacy in clinical pain trials and patient-centered treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Efficacy and safety of twice daily sustained-release paracetamol formulation for osteoarthritis pain of the knee or hip: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, twelve-week study.
Evaluate efficacy and safety of an investigational, twice daily sustained-release (SR) paracetamol formulation in subjects with knee or hip osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ Improvement in WOMAC pain, physical function and stiffness subscales from treatment with SR paracetamol BID versus placebo in subjects with knee or hip OA was not significant. SR paracetamol BID demonstrated significant improvements in GPAOA, PGART, and high-responder rate. High placebo response may have contributed to lack of statistical separation on some outcomes. All interventions were generally well tolerated.
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Abuse and misuse of prescription opioids is a significant public health concern. This review examines the strategies used to confer abuse-deterrent properties on opioid abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs), the characteristics and supporting data for each of the available ADFs, and the role of opioid ADFs as part of a comprehensive opioid risk management plan. ⋯ Although not sufficient by themselves to prevent prescription opioid abuse and misuse, opioid ADFs are an important component of a healthcare provider's comprehensive opioid risk management plan (along with utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs, clinical assessment tools, urine tests, co-prescribing of naloxone to patients at risk of an overdose, access to non-pharmacological treatments and addiction/mental health resources, among others). Adoption of opioid ADFs should be considered as part of an overall public health opioid risk management plan involving all stakeholders to balance legitimate safe and effective use of opioids against misuse and abuse.
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To better understand the economic burden of gout patients in Taiwan, a nationwide retrospective study was conducted to compare the healthcare costs and utilization between gout and gout-free patients. ⋯ Gout patients had higher medical utilization and costs than gout-free patients. In gout patients, all-cause and gout-related utilization were mostly outpatient visits, whereas most of the all-cause and gout-related costs were due to hospitalization. The study findings could be useful for future economic evaluations and healthcare resource allocation.
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To compare sleep dimensions in patients suffering from chronic pain of different origins, and with a group of pain-free subjects. To analyze the relationship between depression and/or anxiety and sleep disorders in musculoskeletal, neuropathic, and fibromyalgia patients. ⋯ The sleep pattern differs among groups of PCP in the presence or absence of mood disorders. Understanding these disorders in each specific group of PCP is fundamental, and it can contribute to improve the clinical situation of the patients and better orientating therapeutic strategies.