In March 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated guidelines for prescribing opioids for chronic pain. Giving patients a decision-making role in their pain plan–and providing them with the information they need to arrive at informed mutual decisions–is front and centre in the document. Continue reading “Opioid Safety Starts with Informed, Mutual Decisions”
Tag: Chris Pasero
The Epidemic of Opioid OverPrescribing Suggests the Need for Caution and Careful Monitoring
Recent research has found that opioids are being overprescribed to patients.
A study at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has found that opioids are being overprescribed to children.
Myron Yaster, MD (Richard J. Traystman Distinguished Professor, Departments of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) and his colleagues interviewed the patients of pediatric patients who had been given opioids upon discharge from hospital. They were looking to determine: Continue reading “The Epidemic of Opioid OverPrescribing Suggests the Need for Caution and Careful Monitoring”
Three Must Knows Before Using Naloxone to Reverse the Effects of Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression
To reverse the effects of opioid-induced respiratory depression, the FDA recommends the use of naloxone:
When someone overdoses on an opioid, it can be difficult to awaken the person, and breathing may become shallow or stop – leading to death if there is no medical intervention. If naloxone is administered quickly, it can counter the overdose effects, usually within two minutes.
However, there are three must knows before using naloxone to reverse the effects of opioid-induced respiratory depression. Continue reading “Three Must Knows Before Using Naloxone to Reverse the Effects of Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression”
Can Clinicians Reduce Opioid Dependence Through Multimodal Approaches to Pain Management?
By Sean Power
November 17, 2015
Mary Rechtoris, writer at Becker’s Healthcare, reported on the North American Spine Society’s 30th Annual Meeting held in Chicago, at which experts discussed whether multimodal pain management approaches could reduce opioid dependence.