Journal of pain & palliative care pharmacotherapy
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2002
ReviewWhat is the most effective therapy for preventing NSAID-induced gastropathy?
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastrointestinal toxicity is associated with morbidity and mortality, and given the very wide use of NSAIDs, is problematic and costly to society. Several options are now available to minimize gastrointestinal toxicity from NSAIDs. ⋯ The effectiveness of these strategies to minimize NSAID-induced gastrointestinal toxicity is summarized. In addition, their associated adverse effect profiles and costs are compared.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2002
Comparative StudyPatient-specific factors affecting patient-controlled analgesia dosing.
A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of characteristics patients' gender, age, weight, height, and body surface area, as well as the concurrent or recent use of opioids, ethanol and tobacco, on opioid dose requirements during administration of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Data were collected retrospectively from the medical records of 150 patients who underwent open cholecystectomies during an 18 month period at one institution. ⋯ The results of the study demonstrate that during the first 48 hours of PCA therapy, patient age, height, weight, body surface area, gender, smoking, alcohol use, and preoperative opioid use may have significant influence on opioid analgesic use (p < 0.05). The data support the hypothesis that patient-specific factors may contribute to the variability observed in patients' PCA analgesic dose requirements, and these factors should be considered when selecting a proper demand (bolus) dose for PCA therapy.
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The ASHP Midyear Clinical meeting continues to be the largest pharmacy meeting in the world. A broad range of topics was presented at hundreds of symposia and posters at the 2001 meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, in December. Pain management, hospice care, evidence based medicine, safe medication practices and improved drug information services were among the many practice areas addressed and recognized at the meeting.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Jan 2002
The polarized debate over complementary and alternative medicine.
Debate about the place and scientific of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased markedly in 2002 following the release of the report of the White House Commission on Alternative and Complementary Medicine Policy. Arguments for and against the integration of CAM into mainstream medicine that have been made are discussed. Positions taken by organizations opposed to CAM are described as are arguments to study the place of CAM further.