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Researchers from the University of Southern California have recently completed a survey of frontline providers concerning care for infants affected by neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) resulting from in utero exposure to opioids. Conclusions drawn from this work have resulted in the identification...
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A Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers updated data on the estimated prevalence of chronic pain in America. The report summarizes conclusions from a 2016 survey conducted in fulfillment of a National Pain...
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The search for a new molecule in the face of the opioid crisis may have taken a major step forward with the recent discovery of a chemical compound, AT-121, that provides analgesia without addictive potential. Mei-Chuan Ko, PhD, professor of physiology and pharmacology at the School of Medicine...
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New research led by a team from Binghamton University, State University at New York, concludes that single-step nasal spray delivery of naloxone is the easiest and most successful route of administration for members of the general community. Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan®, can be...
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Many states have now taken legislative action to limit first-time prescribing of opioid analgesics for acute pain, some with restrictions of as few as 3-days’ supply. Recently, the US Food and Drug Association has engaged the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to...
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Clinicians at Toronto General Hospital have been engaging a unique pain program to assist surgical patients in weaning off opioids while still providing pain management alternatives that enhance quality of life. The Transitional Pain Program employs a range of strategies to prevent acute...
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In what the authors say is the first response to an unmet need, an expert panel from Johns Hopkins has published a set of 20 operation-specific opioid prescribing guidelines. In general, the consensus guidance represents a reduction from current prescribing practice, and the authors note that this...
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New research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests that the effort to establish harm reduction resources to address the opioid abuse crisis could be assisted by changing the name of these locations from “safe consumption sites” to “overdose prevention sites.” A survey of a...
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Younger patients who filled a prescription for opioids when undergoing wisdom tooth extraction were 2.7 times more likely to fill at least 2 more prescriptions in the following year, according to findings from a new study conducted in association with the Michigan Opioid Prescribing and Engagement...
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A new retrospective study conducted by researchers from University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City reports that preoperative use of opioids is a significant predictor of continued postoperative opioid use in patients who undergo lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Study author Andrew Pugely, MD...