Articles: opioid-analgesics.
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Journal of critical care · Apr 2022
Discharge prescribing of enteral opioids in opioid naïve patients following non-surgical intensive care: A retrospective cohort study.
To estimate the incidence of new prescription of enteral opioids on hospital discharge in opioid naïve, non-surgical, critically ill patients and evaluate the risk factors associated with such occurrence. ⋯ A significant proportion of opioid naïve non-surgical ICU survivors receive a new opioid prescription on hospital discharge.
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There is an ongoing opioid epidemic in the USA, and the U. S. military is not immune to the health threat. To combat the epidemic, the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) issued new clinical practice guidelines and launched the Opioid Safety Initiative aimed at reducing opioid prescriptions. ⋯ SSTs may offer an improved analgesic option to meet the battlefield's unmet needs with its non-invasive, sublingual delivery system and favorable pharmacologic properties that mitigate the risk for side effects, addiction, and adverse outcomes. Accordingly, this commentary aims to (1) review the evolution of opioid use on the battlefield and discuss the medical benefits and limitations of SSTs in acute trauma settings, (2) highlight the importance of chronic pain management post-deployment through evidence-based non-opioid modalities, and (3) explore avenues of future research. Ultimately, we propose that SSTs are an important improvement from existing battlefield opioids and that refining, not abandoning, opioid usage will be key to effectively managing pain in the military.