Opioids News and Research

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An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Study offers a new approach to control post-surgery pain

As surgeons balance the need to control their patients' post-surgery pain with the risk that a routine operation could become the gateway to long-term opioid use or addiction, a new study shows the power of an approach that takes a middle way.

28 Jan 2021

Drugged driving is outpacing drunk driving, shows study

A recent study of drugged driving, by a team of University of Cincinnati researchers, shows that a sizable percentage of individuals reported the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs while operating behind the wheel.

26 Jan 2021

SMART recovery groups provide addiction services during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new perils and challenges for people experiencing substance use disorders and addictive behaviors. Social distancing and isolation can trigger loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

22 Jan 2021

New pain management regimen reduced opioid exposure in trauma patients

A pain management regimen comprised mostly of over-the-counter medication reduced opioid exposure in trauma patients while achieving equal levels of pain control, according to a new study by physician-researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

22 Jan 2021

Multimodal pain regimen minimizes opioid exposure, relieves acute pain in trauma patients

A multimodal pain regimen (MMPR) designed to minimize opioid exposure and relieve acute pain associated with traumatic injury kept patient self-reported pain scores low while also reducing the daily and total amount of opioid drugs given to trauma patients.

21 Jan 2021

Analysis reveals rapid surge in methamphetamine overdose deaths in the United States

Methamphetamine overdose deaths surged in an eight-year period in the United States, according to a study published today in JAMA Psychiatry.

20 Jan 2021

Are public health ads worth the price? Not if they’re all about fear

The public service announcement showed a mother finding her teenage son lifeless, juxtaposed with the sound of a ukulele and a woman singing, "That's how, how you OD'd on heroin."

19 Jan 2021

Researchers assess medical practice patterns of primary care physicians

Harmful medical practices, like inappropriate prescribing of opioids and racial and income-based discrimination in clinical settings, can vary across medical practices and individuals.

13 Jan 2021

Polymer patch provides controlled release of drugs for post-operative pain management

A Duke-led team of scientists has developed a bio-compatible surgical patch that releases non-opioid painkillers directly to the site of a wound for days and then dissolves away.

11 Jan 2021

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Georgia turns the Senate blue

Surprise Democratic victories in Georgia's two runoff elections this week will give Democrats control of the Senate, which means they will be in charge of both houses of Congress and the White House for the first time since 2010.

7 Jan 2021

San Francisco wrestles with drug approach as death and chaos engulf Tenderloin

In early 2019, Tom Wolf posted a thank-you on Twitter to the cop who had arrested him the previous spring, when he was homeless and strung out in a doorway with 103 tiny bindles of heroin and cocaine in a plastic baggie at his feet.

7 Jan 2021

Opioid use may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center have found that opioid use might increase a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

6 Jan 2021

FDA takes further steps to strengthen REMS program to confront opioid crisis

While our efforts to combat COVID-19 remain at the forefront of our day-to-day activities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also continues its work on a number of important public health issues and, in particular, the opioid crisis.

23 Dec 2020

Genetic analysis reveals novel traits associated with COVID-19 severity

Researchers in the United States have conducted genetic correlation studies revealing novel traits associated with the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

23 Dec 2020

Long-term opioid use cannot treat chronic pain, has serious health consequences

A broken heart is often harder to heal than a broken leg. Now researchers say that a broken heart can contribute to lasting chronic pain.

22 Dec 2020

Study finds a distinct shift in method of nurse suicides

In a new study, University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health researchers report that the rate of firearm use by female nurses who die by suicide increased between 2014 to 2017.

22 Dec 2020

Cannabis use during opioid addiction treatment may reduce fentanyl exposure

New research suggests that cannabis use by people in care for opioid addiction might improve their treatment outcomes and reduce their risk of being exposed to fentanyl in the contaminated unregulated drug supply.

21 Dec 2020

Intensive childhood intervention program could help reduce 'deaths of despair'

Mortality rates among young adults are rising in the U.S. due in part to "deaths of despair" -- preventable deaths from suicide, drug overdoses and alcohol-related liver disease.

17 Dec 2020