Articles: opioid.
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In response to the opioid crisis, U.S. states have passed laws requiring urine drug testing (UDT) when opioid analgesics are prescribed for chronic pain. We sought to identify state law UDT requirements. ⋯ Relatively few states have UDT mandates associated with prescribing opioids as chronic pain treatment. When developing policy indicators for empirical studies, researchers evaluating how UDT policy affects health outcomes must consider the complexity and lack of uniformity of UDT requirements. In addition, even if states mandate UDT, it is unclear whether clinicians understand the best way to use the test results.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Safety and Efficacy of Oral Nalbuphine on Postoperative Pain in Hemorrhoidectomy Patients: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Pivotal Trial.
Severe postoperative pain requiring opioid treatment has been reported in 20% to 40% of hemorrhoidectomy patients. Compared with morphine, nalbuphine offers better hemodynamic stability, a lower risk of respiratory depression, and a lower potential for addiction. Nalbuphine was developed from the intravenous form into an oral form (PHN131) to alleviate moderate-to-severe pain. ⋯ Our findings demonstrate that PHN131 is effective and well-tolerated in the treatment of moderate-to-severe post hemorrhoidectomy pain and may provide another option for patients to control their pain.
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Critical care medicine · Dec 2023
Effectiveness of Sublingual Buprenorphine for Pain Control in the ICU.
The objective of this study was to compare pain control and opioid consumption in critically ill patients who were treated with buprenorphine sublingual or oxycodone oral/enteral during ICU admission. ⋯ Buprenorphine sublingual is as effective as oxycodone oral/enteral with regard to pain control and opioid consumption in the ICU. Buprenorphine sublingual is an appropriate option for patients in the ICU who are unable to take oral/enteral medications.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2023
ReviewAntinociceptive Agents as General Anesthetic Adjuncts: Supra-additive and Infra-additive Interactions.
The hypothesis "General anesthesia consists of producing both loss of consciousness and the inhibition of noxious stimuli reaching the brain and causing arousal" was used as a basis for the review of published data on general anesthetic interactions with antinociceptive agents: opioids, α 2 adrenergic agonists, and systemic sodium channel blockers. This review is focused on a specific type of anesthetic interaction-the transformation of antinociceptive agents into general anesthetic adjuncts. The primary aim is to answer 2 questions. ⋯ The following terms related to drug interactions were used: anesthetic interactions, synergy, antagonism, isobolographic analysis, response surface analysis, and fractional analysis. The interactions of antinociceptive agents with general anesthetics result in a decrease of general anesthetic requirements, which differ for each of the components of general anesthesia: hypnosis, immobility, and hemodynamic response to noxious stimulation. Most studies of the nature of anesthetic interactions are related to opioid-general anesthetic combinations, and their conclusions usually confirm supra-additivity.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of Transforaminal Epidural Corticosteroid Injections in Acute Sciatica A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TESIs) are widely administered for sciatica. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of TESIs in patients with acute sciatica (<8 wk). ⋯ Except for a statistically significant effect of TESI on leg pain for patients with acute sciatica compared with usual care, there were no differences in co-primary outcomes. Nonetheless, transforaminal epidural injections seem to be associated with less opioid use, which warrants further exploration.