Annals of palliative medicine
-
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is common chronic respiratory disorder, predominantly caused by exposure to cigarette smoke or biomass fuels, and it usually affects older adults. Dyspnea in COPD that is unresponsive to traditional management is a challenging disease complication for both the patient and the health care professional. Off-label use of opioids has been advocated as a pharmacotherapy strategy for refractory dyspnea. ⋯ In summary, the evidence in support of using opioids for refractory dyspnea in COPD is minimal and weak, and there is mounting data demonstrating that opioids are associated with increased respiratory-related morbidity and mortality in this population. Therefore, current evidence does not support the broad application of opioids for refractory dyspnea among individuals with COPD. However, there may be subsets of individuals that experience modest improvement in dyspnea with opioids, and better understanding predictors and mechanisms of such opioid responsiveness should be a focus of future research endeavours.
-
The emerging infection of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in late December, 2019 in Wuhan, China, has caused an extreme health concern, with many patients having progressed to acute respiratory disease or other complications in a short period. Meanwhile, the risk factors associated with the disease progression still remain elusive. ⋯ A higher cell count of total lymphocytes may indicate a better outcome of the disease, and immune response may be a vital factor for directing disease progression in the early stage of 2019-nCoV infection.
-
This state-of-the-art review comprehensive covers the benefits and risks of tapering opioids. The review discusses opioid strategies and pitfalls that may occur during tapering. The purpose of this review is to expand the knowledge of clinicians regarding tapering opioids and equip them to be able to successfully reduce and stop opioid therapy when appropriate.
-
The novel coronavirus named COVID-19, which originated in Wuhan, China, has spread to many countries around the world. Currently, no effective medical treatment exists to combat this disease. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) have unique roles in the treatment of viral infections. In this article we analyzed the effectiveness and possible molecular mechanisms of CHM formulas for the prevention of COVID-19. ⋯ Our research provides new evidence to support the possible value of CHM formulas for the prevention of COVID-19. However, further clinical studies with large sample sizes are required to verify their effectiveness.