Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Jun 2008
Review[Influence of opioids on the psychomotor ability of patients in chronic pain].
Studies have provided no evidence that effective and stable long-term opioid treatment of pain necessarily impairs psychomotor abilities. Assessment of psychomotor abilities, especially of those involved in driving, can only be made in the individual case. Such abilities are affected especially by drug combination and such individual factors as age and driving experience.
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Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. · Jun 2008
Review[Driving ability under opioids: current assessment of published studies].
Opioids are more frequently used in the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain. The aim is not only to reduce pain intensity, but also the patients' reintegration into their social environment, including the possibility of driving their own car. Various studies have investigated the impact of opioids on driving ability. ⋯ These results indicate that stable opioid treatment does not necessarily impair driving ability of patients in chronic pain. However, so far published studies do not provide clear evidence for saying that persons on sustained opioid treatment can drive a car without any problem. Nor do they indicate that such persons should not drive.