Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Previous studies examining opioid dose and overdose risk provide limited granularity by milligram strength and instead rely on thresholds. We quantify dose-dependent overdose mortality over a large spectrum of clinically common doses. We also examine the contributions of benzodiazepines and extended release opioid formulations to mortality. ⋯ Dose-dependent opioid overdose risk among patients increased gradually and did not show evidence of a distinct risk threshold. There is urgent need for guidance about combined classes of medicines to facilitate a better balance between pain relief and overdose risk.
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This is a hypothesis-article suggesting an entirely new framework for understanding and treating longstanding pain. Most medical and psychological models are described with boxes and arrows. ⋯ To date no models that have been provided - and tested in a scientific satisfactory way - lays out a plan for specific assessment due to a specific causal explanation, and in the end serves the clinicians, patients and researcher with tools on how to address the specific pain condition to every individual pain patient's condition. By applying the Ising model (from physics) on the phenomenon of chronification of pain, one is able to detangle all these factors, and thus have a model that both suggests an explanation of the condition and outlines how one might target the treatment of chronic pain patients with the use of network science.
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To define clinical phenotypes of postamputation pain and identify markers of risk for the development of chronic pain. ⋯ Most military service members in this cohort suffered both phantom and residual limb pain following amputation. Neuroma was a common cause of neuropathic pain in this group. Associated risk factors for significant neuropathic pain included PTSD and depression. PTSD, depression, catastrophizing, and the absence of a regional analgesia catheter were associated with neuropathic pain of any severity.