Articles: pain-management.
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Aims: Pain is a significant problem for those with a cancer diagnosis. Oncology providers often use opioid therapy to manage cancer-related pain. Accessing opioid therapy has grown increasingly difficult because of the opioid epidemic. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released guidelines to optimize pain management for patients with oncologic diagnoses. The goal of this quality improvement project was to create an educational session and evaluate self-efficacy in providers who manage chronic cancer pain. ⋯ Based on the study's results, the guidelines released by ASCO should be reviewed and used to optimize pain management and self-efficacy in providers who work with oncologic patients. Furthermore, future research is recommended to evaluate the effect of evidence-based guidelines on patient outcomes and morbidity.
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J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother · Dec 2023
Case Reports"I Just Don't Feel Heard": A Case Study on Opioid Use Disorder and Pain Management.
The nation's opioid epidemic requires a paradigm shift in the way patients with co-occurring opioid use disorder are treated during episodes of acute pain. Patients are often introduced to prescription opioids after an extremity fracture or sprain or resulting from musculoskeletal back, abdominal, or dental pain. ⋯ This case report will highlight one patient's journey including initial prescription opioid use, escalation into illicit opioids, entry to a recovery and treatment program, discussions with her physician about alternative therapies, and barriers to satisfactory pain relief. A shared decision-making model will be explored.
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Case Reports
Rhabdomyolysis in a patient with end-stage renal disease and SARS-CoV-2 infection: A case report.
Rhabdomyolysis can be an uncommon complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. However, the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis could be easily missed due to its atypical clinical presentations. We present a patient with a history of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who contracted COVID-19 and subsequently developed rhabdomyolysis. We discuss and share our experience in the management of this patient. ⋯ COVID-19 infection can cause muscle pain and fatigue, which can mask the symptoms of rhabdomyolysis. A missed diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis can be severe, especially in patients with ESRD. The serum CK level should be tested with clinical suspicion. Appropriate management, including adequate hydration and electrolyte balance, should be provided. Continuous renal replacement therapy should be considered in affected patients with renal insufficiency.
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Older adults have a high prevalence of chronic pain, which can have a substantial effect on their health and quality of life. Patients' use of effective pain relief methods is a central part of the treatment and management of chronic pain. The utilization of pain relief methods and their perceived effectiveness are important knowledge for treating and managing chronic pain for clinicians and older adults. However, this has been poorly investigated. ⋯ Knowledge about the actual use of pain treatment methods and the varied perceived effectiveness can guide clinicians in recommending new approaches or alternatives to manage chronic pain in older adults. How used methods are aligned with current clinical recommendations could be further explored in the future.
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The knowledge and skills of pain management nurses positions them well to manage people's pain and provide critical services to patients with COVID-19. ⋯ Pain management nurses shared their professional and personal experiences and the support they received while managing patients' pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their experiences provided findings on the importance of pain management and to support nurses during personal and professional vulnerabilities during crises. Key recommendations on the care of patients' pain in future pandemics included developing expertise in pain management and health-related emergencies; engaging nurses in supportive mental health services, infectious disease testing, and vaccine efforts; and planning for surge capacity to reach out to underserved people living with pain.