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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.

ERAS programs help patients better prepare for surgery and recover faster, studies reveal

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs, an important component of the Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH), are helping patients better prepare for surgery and recuperate faster afterward, according to two new studies being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 annual meeting.

24 Oct 2016

Many back pain patients taking opioids get limited relief and worry about side effects, study finds

Millions of people take opioids for chronic back pain, but many of them get limited relief while experiencing side effects and worrying about the stigma associated with taking them, suggests research presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2016 annual meeting.

24 Oct 2016

John Cryer MP, CPPC and TalkHealth jointly launch new chronic pain patient medication survey

It is thought that more than 28 million British people across the United Kingdom suffer with chronic pain, with 8 million of those reporting pain that is moderately to severely disabling.

19 Oct 2016

U-M investigators awarded $7.5 million NIH grant to expand chronic pain research

In order to better understand the disparity between identifiable damage and chronic pain, the National Institutes of Health has awarded $7.5 million over five years to physician-scientists at the University of Michigan Health System.

19 Oct 2016

Urgent Matters announces recipients of Emergency Care Innovation of the Year Award

Urgent Matters, Philips Blue Jay Consulting, and Schumacher Clinical Partners are pleased to announce the winners of the Emergency Care Innovation of the Year Award, a competition to foster innovation in emergency departments nationwide.

17 Oct 2016

Wayne State receives NIH grant to study use of opioid addiction drug to fight relapse in recovering addicts

A team led by Wayne State University School of Medicine researcher Mark Greenwald, Ph.D., will use a four-year, $2,279,723 competitively renewed grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health to explore whether the opioid addiction treatment medication buprenorphine can decrease the magnitude and/or duration of responses to stressors faced by recovering addicts.

15 Oct 2016

Study finds increase in odds of prescription opioid use disorder among young adults

Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found there was an increase in the probability of having a prescription opioid use disorder in the past year among 18- to 34-year-old nonmedical prescription opioid users in 2014 compared to 2002.

30 Sep 2016

CRNAs use holistic approach to effectively manage pain with less opioid dependency

The holistic approach to patient care and pain management used by Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists can help prevent opioid dependency, substance use disorder, drug overdoses and death, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

23 Sep 2016

New study finds opioid dependence affects perception of cute images of babies

A new pilot study has found that opioid dependence - which includes dependence on drugs such as heroin - affects how 'cute' we perceive images of children to be.

19 Sep 2016

Study finds fewer fatal car crashes linked to opioid positivity after execution of medical marijuana law

A study conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that there were fewer drivers killed in car crashes who tested positive for opioids in states with medical marijuana laws than before the laws went into effect.

15 Sep 2016

Study finds late onset and short duration of pain relief treatment in many terminal cancer patients

Many terminal cancer patients are not getting adequate pain relief early enough, according to a University of Leeds study.

15 Sep 2016

$Researchers discover risk factors that contribute to fracture nonunion in adults$

Researchers discover risk factors that contribute to fracture nonunion in adults

Dr. Robert Zura, the Robert D'Ambrosia Professor and Head of Orthopaedic Surgery at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, was part of a research team that identified risk factors which may help orthopaedic surgeons better predict a serious complication of bone fractures.

7 Sep 2016

Delirium in advanced cancer patients: an interview with Dr Knox Todd

Delirium is a terribly distressing syndrome of acute confusion. We often see it in the emergency department in older patients and in those with multiple medical problems. They may be acting strangely at home and concerned loved ones bring them to the emergency department.

7 Sep 2016

Hospitalizations for injection drug use-related infective endocarditis increasing among young Americans

Hospitalizations for infective endocarditis, a heart valve infection often attributed to injection drug use, have increased significantly among young adult Americans--particularly in whites and females--according to a new study by researchers from Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine.

1 Sep 2016

WSU pharmacologists find hyperbaric oxygen therapy can alleviate opiate withdrawal symptoms

Washington State University researchers have found that treatments of pure oxygen in a high-pressure chamber can relieve the symptoms of opiate withdrawal.

31 Aug 2016

Research provides insight into link between chronic pain and anxiety

New research provides insight into a long-observed, but little-understood connection between chronic pain and anxiety and offers a potential target for treatment.

31 Aug 2016

Novel compound provides safe, effective pain relief with zero abuse potential in animal model

Since the isolation of morphine from opium in the 19th century, scientists have hoped to find a potent opioid analgesic that isn't addictive and doesn't cause respiratory arrest with increased doses.

30 Aug 2016

DWC on target to implement workers' compensation drug formulary by July 2017

The Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Workers' Compensation (DIR/DWC) is on target to implement a workers' compensation drug formulary by July of next year as required by Assembly Bill 1124.

27 Aug 2016

New drug target could help prevent opioid tolerance and addiction

Researchers have identified a brain mechanism that could be a drug target to help prevent tolerance and addiction to opioid pain medication, such as morphine, according to a study by Georgia State University and Emory University.

23 Aug 2016

Opioid naive individuals at low risk of developing persistent opioid use after surgery, research shows

Researchers from the University Health Network's Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences have determined that patients who have not had an opioid prescription within a year prior to their procedure are at low risk of developing persistent opioid use after major surgery.

11 Aug 2016