Postgraduate medicine
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Postgraduate medicine · Nov 2011
ReviewA critical assessment of opioid treatment adherence using urine drug testing in chronic pain management.
To determine the current status of performing urine drug tests (UDTs) for monitoring chronic pain therapy, with an emphasis on their use in opioid treatment and the need for improved physician education about UDTs. ⋯ Despite the acknowledged utility of UDTs, there is a critical need for physician education on the use of different UDTs for adherence monitoring because early detection of opioid nonadherence is key to optimal chronic pain management.
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Prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is often overlooked in clinical practice, despite being a frequent and serious complication of various medical conditions and surgical procedures. The need to reduce hospital-acquired VTE is becoming increasingly recognized in the United States, and various quality-improvement initiatives have been developed. Prevention of VTE through evidence-based, practice-informed pathways includes assessing the patient's risk of VTE and provision of VTE at different stages: at admission, during hospitalization, and after hospital discharge. ⋯ Useful approaches to ensure successful transition of care include patient education and support, with the accurate and timely transfer of information from the hospital to the primary care physician. Various strategies and tools are available to help physicians establish good VTE practices at each stage, including risk assessment models, reminders, clinical decision support systems, educational programs, and online resources, such as those from the Society of Hospital Medicine. Effective use of these strategies by physicians, with the engagement and support of nurses and pharmacists, should help to improve current practices and to reduce the considerable burden of VTE.
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Postgraduate medicine · Nov 2011
Meta AnalysisDiclofenac sodium topical solution 1.5% w/w with dimethyl sulfoxide compared with placebo for the treatment of osteoarthritis: pooled safety results.
Oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cyclooxygenase-2-selective inhibitors are frequently recommended for management of osteoarthritis (OA). However, serious gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systemic adverse events (AEs) are associated with oral NSAIDs and can be treatment limiting. The efficacy of diclofenac sodium topical solution 1.5% w/w with dimethyl sulfoxide (TDiclo) has been established as superior to placebo and comparable with oral NSAIDs in the management of OA. ⋯ The most common reason for study discontinuation was dry skin (2.5% vs 0.3%). Results from this analysis suggest that TDiclo is well tolerated in a large population and may offer an alternative to oral NSAID therapy for OA of the knee or hand, particularly for patients at increased risk for serious systemic AEs. Larger head-to-head, long-term, multicenter trials would be beneficial to further evaluate safety data comparing both topical and oral NSAIDs.
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Postgraduate medicine · Nov 2011
ReviewReview: a single-pill combination of telmisartan plus amlodipine for the treatment of hypertension.
Despite an increased proportion of patients with hypertension achieving recommended blood pressure (BP) targets, BP control remains suboptimal in many patients. A range of combination therapies utilizing medications with differing mechanisms of action have been shown to provide superior BP-lowering efficacy than monotherapy with individual components. Single-pill combinations deliver improved convenience and may help to improve patient compliance. ⋯ The telmisartan plus amlodipine combinations were well tolerated, with the incidence of adverse events similar to placebo; the incidence of peripheral edema was lower with the 40 mg/10 mg and 80 mg/10 mg combinations than with amlodipine 10 mg alone. In another study (N = 858), the highest-dose combination (80 mg/10 mg) demonstrated superior BP-lowering efficacy than same-dose monotherapy with either telmisartan or amlodipine in patients with severe hypertension (SBP ≥ 180 and DBP ≥ 95 mm Hg). Single-pill telmisartan plus amlodipine combination therapy appears to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment as initial therapy for patients likely to require > 1 antihypertensive agent to reach BP targets.
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Postgraduate medicine · Nov 2011
ReviewChronic pain: reducing costs through early implementation of adherence testing and recognition of opioid misuse.
To review the literature on costs associated with chronic pain therapy and to identify key contributing factors. Also, to assess the potential cost-saving benefits of monitoring pain treatment adherence using urine drug tests (UDTs), emphasizing their use in opioid therapy. ⋯ The cost benefits of UDTs can only be fully realized if physicians know how to define and detect various types of drug abuse, addiction, and diversion. Physicians should be educated on the proper implementation of POC tests and LUTs, and interpretation of adherence data. Early monitoring of drug adherence using POC tests and follow-up LUTs may provide substantial cost savings associated with health care issues incurred in nonadherent chronic pain patients, especially those taking opioid therapy.