Articles: opioid.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2015
Legal changes to increase access to naloxone for opioid overdose reversal in the United States.
Opioid overdose, which has reached epidemic levels in the United States, is reversible by administration of the medication naloxone. Naloxone requires a prescription but is not a controlled substance and has no abuse potential. In the last half-decade, the majority of states have modified their laws to increase layperson access to the medication. ⋯ Most states have now passed laws intended to increase layperson access to naloxone. While these laws will likely reduce overdose morbidity and mortality, the cost of naloxone and its prescription status remain barriers to more widespread access.
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Access to many controlled medicines is inadequate in a number of European countries. This leads to deficits in the treatment of moderate to severe pain as well as in opioid agonist therapy. ⋯ The challenges identified during outcomes of the workshops were used as the basis for subsequent dissemination and implementation activities in the ATOME project, and in some countries the workshop proceedings already served as a stepping-stone for the first changes in regulations and legislation.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Dec 2015
Prescription drug misuse and suicidal ideation: Findings from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of injury-related mortality in the United States and prior research has identified alcohol and other drug use as a major risk factor. In recent years, prescription drug misuse has become a serious public health issue; however, very little research examines the relationship between prescription drug misuse and suicide or suicidal ideation. ⋯ The current research fills an important gap in the literature by examining the relationship between prescription drug misuse and suicidal ideation. Consistent with the extant literature, prescription drug misuse is significantly associated with suicidal ideation among adults.
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The use of opioids to achieve adequate pain relief following surgery is a common clinical practice. Opioids, however, are associated with serious adverse effects, such as respiratory depression, excessive sedation, and prolonged ileus, as well as increased mortality. The administration of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen to control postoperative pain has been effective in reducing opioid consumption in various surgical populations, but no studies have been conducted in bariatric surgery patients. This investigation was performed to determine whether IV acetaminophen reduces opioid requirements after bariatric surgery. ⋯ IV acetaminophen did not reduce opioid use for postoperative pain management in bariatric surgery patients.