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.

Gabapentinoid medications increasingly prescribed off-label for adults with cancer

Between 2005 and 2015, as the opioid crisis in America came into focus, prescriptions for gabapentinoid medications -- gabapentin and pregabalin -- to adults with cancer saw a two-fold increase, a University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center study has found.

29 Oct 2019

Hospitals take shot at opioid makers over cost of treating uninsured for addiction

While thousands of cities and counties have banded together to sue opioid makers and distributors in a federal court, another group of plaintiffs has started to sue on their own: hospitals.

29 Oct 2019

AAOMPT opposes use of 'degenerative disc disease' as diagnostic term for neck, back pain

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists has released a position statement opposing "degenerative disc disease" as a diagnostic term for the cause of neck and back pain.

25 Oct 2019

Enhanced informatics tool could help better identify nonfatal opioid overdose cases in the ED

A team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina has been awarded $3.75 million by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences to enhance an existing informatics tool known as "informatics for integrating biology and the bedside" or I2B2.

24 Oct 2019

Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist receives $3.58 million to advance treatment for opioid-use disorders

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded a $3.58 million grant to Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist Anthony Pinkerton, Ph.D., to advance a potential treatment for opioid-use disorders, called SBI-553.

23 Oct 2019

Anesthesia has no influence on risk of breast cancer recurrence, study shows

One of the largest global studies in the field of anaesthesia, in which the MedUni Vienna has participated, showed that, following curative breast cancer surgery under regional anaesthesia, the risk of recurrence was not reduced in comparison to general anaesthesia with opioids.

23 Oct 2019

Involving patients in pain management decisions significantly reduces opioid prescriptions

Women who undergo a hysterectomy are often prescribed at least twice as many opioids as they use - but there may be a simple way to change that.

22 Oct 2019

One in five patients prescribed opioids after cardiac device implantation surgery, study shows

One in five patients is prescribed opioids after having a pacemaker or similar device implanted, according to a large US study conducted at Mayo Clinic published in HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society and the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society published by Elsevier.

21 Oct 2019

Study: One-third of children having tonsillectomies benefitted from opioid-free surgery and recovery

Nearly one-third of children who had surgery to remove their tonsils did not need opioids to get adequate pain relief during and after surgery, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 annual meeting.

21 Oct 2019

Colorectal surgery patients in ERAS program report less pain, use fewer opioids

Colorectal surgery patients who were a part of an enhanced recovery after surgery program had less pain, while using nearly half as many opioids, according to research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 annual meeting.

20 Oct 2019

Unnecessary opioid prescribing after cesarean delivery remains high

Nearly 90% of women who did not use opioids in the hospital after cesarean delivery were nonetheless discharged with a prescription for opioids, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 annual meeting.

20 Oct 2019

Systematic review: Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use

Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use and potential abuse, suggests a systematic review of published studies being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 annual meeting.

20 Oct 2019

Temple researchers win NIH grant to study HIV-related neuroinflammation in context of opioid addiction

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a Temple research team a 5-year, $3.27 million grant to study neuroinflammation following HIV-infection in the context of opioid addiction.

16 Oct 2019

Australian researchers discover link between itchy skin and gut pain

This is big news for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) patients: 11 percent of the world's population suffers from IBS, but the fight against chronic pain has taken a major step forward with scientists identifying receptors in the nervous system which cause the condition in the hope of developing effective treatments.

16 Oct 2019

Health care stayed front and center at Democratic debate

This time, it wasn't just about "Medicare for All."

16 Oct 2019

New federal grant to expand outreach to help underserved communities battle opioid epidemic

According to government data, more than 70,000 Americans died in 2017 by overdosing on opioids. In response to the opioid crisis, the US Department of Health and Human Services outlined several key priorities, including improved treatment access, use of overdose-reversing drugs and improved pain management strategies.

15 Oct 2019

Think ‘Medicare for All’ is the only democratic health plan? Think again

If you tuned in for the first five nights of the Democratic presidential debates, you might think "Medicare for All" and providing universal care are the only health care ideas Democrats have.

15 Oct 2019

Changes to state law reduce new opioid prescriptions by 22% in Penn Medicine’s New Jersey practices

The total amount of opioids dispensed per new opioid prescription decreased by 22 percent in Penn Medicine outpatient practices in New Jersey after the state passed a law limiting prescriptions to a five-day supply for new opioid prescriptions.

14 Oct 2019

Mindfulness and medication for opioid dependence may reduce cravings

People suffering from opioid addiction and chronic pain may have fewer cravings and less pain if they use both mindfulness techniques and medication for opioid dependence, according to Rutgers and other researchers.

14 Oct 2019

Overdose prevention should also focus on alcohol use, study suggests

For several years, the national spotlight has shone on the need to prevent and rapidly treat opioid overdoses. But a new study suggests a need for more focus on the risk of alcohol overdoses among people who use opioids of all kinds, as well as cocaine, marijuana and certain prescription drugs.

14 Oct 2019

Opioids News and Research

Further Reading

Gabapentinoid medications increasingly prescribed off-label for adults with cancer

Hospitals take shot at opioid makers over cost of treating uninsured for addiction

AAOMPT opposes use of 'degenerative disc disease' as diagnostic term for neck, back pain

Enhanced informatics tool could help better identify nonfatal opioid overdose cases in the ED

Sanford Burnham Prebys scientist receives $3.58 million to advance treatment for opioid-use disorders

Anesthesia has no influence on risk of breast cancer recurrence, study shows

Involving patients in pain management decisions significantly reduces opioid prescriptions

One in five patients prescribed opioids after cardiac device implantation surgery, study shows

Study: One-third of children having tonsillectomies benefitted from opioid-free surgery and recovery

Colorectal surgery patients in ERAS program report less pain, use fewer opioids

Unnecessary opioid prescribing after cesarean delivery remains high

Systematic review: Medical marijuana shows early promise to lessen opioid use

Temple researchers win NIH grant to study HIV-related neuroinflammation in context of opioid addiction

Australian researchers discover link between itchy skin and gut pain

Health care stayed front and center at Democratic debate

New federal grant to expand outreach to help underserved communities battle opioid epidemic

Think ‘Medicare for All’ is the only democratic health plan? Think again

Changes to state law reduce new opioid prescriptions by 22% in Penn Medicine’s New Jersey practices

Mindfulness and medication for opioid dependence may reduce cravings

Overdose prevention should also focus on alcohol use, study suggests

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