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 examines opioid prescribing rates for pediatric patients in EDs

Opioids for pain management in pediatric patients are sometimes necessary but their use has raised concerns about the effects of opioids and later abuse.

21 Dec 2018

Urine drug testing can be useful tool for addiction treatment in primary care setting

A new study performed by Boston Medical Center and faculty at the Boston University School of Medicine shows that urine drug testing can be a useful tool to treat patients with opioid use disorder in a primary care setting.

20 Dec 2018

Hep C and drug abuse often go hand in hand, but screening for infection lags

When people seek help at a drug treatment center for an opioid addiction, concerns about having contracted hepatitis C are generally low on their list.

19 Dec 2018

UC San Diego Health offers new DRG stimulation device for phantom limb pain

In May 2000, Raul Silva was involved in a motorcycle accident in Baja California, Mexico, badly breaking his left femur, or thighbone. He underwent emergency surgery in Mexicali and, at first, everything seemed fine. Then an infection set in, worsened, and Silva eventually made his way to San Diego, where his left leg was amputated.

18 Dec 2018

Early postpartum initiation of opioids associated with persistent use

Vanderbilt researchers have published findings indicating that regardless of whether a woman delivers a child by cesarean section or by vaginal birth, if they fill prescriptions for opioid pain medications early in the postpartum period, they are at increased risk of developing persistent opioid use.

18 Dec 2018

Study finds misuse of benzodiazepines to be highest among young adults

More than one in eight U.S. adults used benzodiazepines in the past year, up from previous reports. Misuse of the prescription drugs accounted for more than 17 percent of overall use, according to a study published online today in Psychiatric Services in Advance.

17 Dec 2018

America's teens report dramatic increase in their use of vaping devices in just one year

America's teens report a dramatic increase in their use of vaping devices in just a single year, with 37.3 percent of 12th graders reporting "any vaping" in the past 12 months, compared to just 27.8 percent in 2017.

17 Dec 2018

Early physical therapy associated with reduction in opioid use

Patients who underwent physical therapy soon after being diagnosed with pain in the shoulder, neck, low back or knee were approximately 7 to 16 percent less likely to use opioids in the subsequent months, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Duke University School of Medicine.

14 Dec 2018

Nurse denied life insurance because she carries naloxone

Bloodwork was supposed to be the last step in Isela’s application for life insurance. But when she arrived at the lab, her appointment had been canceled.

14 Dec 2018

Study: Chronic opioid therapy associated with increased healthcare spending and hospital stays

Using data from commercial insurance claims of working-aged adults, new research published in the December issue of The American Journal of Accountable Care found that chronic opioid therapy for noncancer pain is associated with increased healthcare spending as well as hospital stays.

14 Dec 2018

Fentanyl surpasses heroin in cause of U.S. drug overdose deaths

According to a new report from health officials, Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid drug, is surpassing heroin as cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. The report was released 12th of December 2018 in the CDC’s National Vital Statistics Report.

13 Dec 2018

Virginia Tech and UC San Diego researchers team up to develop nonopioid drug for chronic pain

Researchers from the Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience are teaming with the University of California San Diego and the U.S. National Institutes of Health to develop a drug -- now in its earliest stages -- that can treat certain types of chronic pain without the addictive consequences of opioids.

12 Dec 2018

FDA clears mobile medical app to help increase retention in recovery program for opioid use disorder

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared a mobile medical application (app) to help increase retention (the amount of time a patient participates) in an outpatient treatment program for individuals with opioid use disorder.

10 Dec 2018

Activating brain region could revive the urge to socialize among opioid addicts

One of the many painful and challenging aspects of the US opioid crisis is that people abusing opioids often isolate themselves from family and friends, making it difficult for loved ones to help people on a path towards recovery.

10 Dec 2018

Ultrarestrictive opioid prescribing strategy linked with reduction in number of pills dispensed

An ultrarestrictive opioid prescribing strategy was associated with a reduction in the number of pills dispensed in a study of patients having surgery for gynecologic cancer, without changes in postoperative pain scores, complications or increases in prescription refill requests.

9 Dec 2018

Study quantifies links between alcohol, drug use and violent deaths

A group of researchers at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) in Brazil recently published the results of a study on the links between alcohol and drug use and the occurrence of violent deaths.

7 Dec 2018

VCU researchers test vaccine against opioid abuse

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers are testing a vaccine against opioid abuse developed by the Scripps Research Institute in California. The vaccine is meant to block the effects of heroin and fentanyl in patients with opioid use disorder.

7 Dec 2018

Heroin-assisted treatment can offer benefits, reduce harms

Providing supervised access to medical-grade heroin to people whose use continues after trying multiple traditional treatments has been successful in other countries, and should be piloted and studied in the United States, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

6 Dec 2018

Telemedicine for treating substance use disorders remains underused, study shows

Despite the enormous unmet need for treatment of substance use disorders and the promise of telemedicine to fill some of the gaps in care, the tool remains woefully underused, according to research led by investigators from the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School.

5 Dec 2018

Study investigates influence of different opioids on driving performance

Taking opioids for the treatment of pain has been associated with increased risks of crashing among drivers, but it is unknown whether this applies to all opioids or pertains to specific opioids only.

5 Dec 2018