Articles: analgesics.
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In cancer pain therapy treatment with strong opioids is essential. However, it may be accompanied by the occurrence of various adverse effects. The most frequent and persistent side effect in the course of opioid treatment is constipation. ⋯ Present research indicates that there is a relation between type of opioid and degree of constipation, i.e. treatment with transdermal fentanyl or methadone tends to cause less constipation compared to morphine or hydromorphone. The route of administration of morphine--oral vs. subcutaneous--does not seem to affect the incidence of opioid-induced constipation. Furthermore, prophylaxis and efficient control of opioid-induced constipation still fail to be part of the routine in pain treatment.
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Review Meta Analysis
Effects of acetaminophen on morphine side-effects and consumption after major surgery: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Acetaminophen is commonly used for the management of perioperative pain. However, there is a marked discrepancy between the extent to which acetaminophen is used and the available evidence for an analgesic effect after major surgery. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the morphine-sparing effect of acetaminophen combined with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine and to evaluate its effects on opioid-related adverse effects. ⋯ Acetaminophen combined with PCA morphine induced a significant morphine-sparing effect but did not change the incidence of morphine-related adverse effects in the postoperative period.
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Paediatric anaesthesia · Apr 2005
Meta AnalysisPediatric intravenous paracetamol (propacetamol) pharmacokinetics: a population analysis.
The aim of this study was to describe propacetamol pharmacokinetics in children in order to predict concentrations after a standard dosing regimen of propacetamol 30 mg x kg(-1) (15 mg x kg(-1) paracetamol) 6 h. ⋯ A mean paracetamol serum concentration of 10 mg x l(-1) is achieved in children 2-15 years given a standard dose of propacetamol 30 mg x kg(-1) 6 h. This concentration in the effect compartment is associated with a pain reduction of 2.6/10 after tonsillectomy and provides satisfactory analgesia for mild to moderate pain. Clearance is reduced in children less than 1 year of age and the target concentration of 10 mg x l(-1) may be achieved by scaling this standard dose regimen using predicted clearance in this younger age group.
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Cochrane Db Syst Rev · Jan 2005
Review Meta AnalysisPatient controlled intravenous opioid analgesia versus continuous epidural analgesia for pain after intra-abdominal surgery.
There are two common techniques for postoperative pain control after intra-abdominal surgery: patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous opioids and continuous epidural analgesia (CEA). It is uncertain which method has better pain control and fewer adverse effects. ⋯ CEA is superior to opioid PCA in relieving postoperative pain for up to 72 hours in patients undergoing intra-abdominal surgery, but it is associated with a higher incidence of pruritus. There is insufficient evidence to draw comparisons about the other advantages and disadvantages of these two methods of pain relief.
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For many years antidepressant drugs have been used to manage neuropathic pain, and are often the first choice treatment. It is not clear, however, which antidepressant is more effective, what role the newer antidepressants can play in treating neuropathic pain, and what adverse effects are experienced by patients. ⋯ Antidepressants are effective for a variety of neuropathic pains. The best evidence available is for amitriptyline. There are only limited data for the effectiveness of SSRIs. It is not possible to identify the most effective antidepressant until more studies of SSRIs are conducted.