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.

Mothering over meds: Docs say common treatment for opioid-exposed babies isn’t necessary

On learning last year she was pregnant with her second child, Cailyn Morreale was overcome with fear and trepidation.

22 Oct 2024

Expanded treatment options linked to 37% reduction in drug overdose deaths

Expanded treatment options, increased naloxone distribution and targeted education campaigns likely led to a 37% reduction in overdose deaths from opioids combined with stimulant drugs other than cocaine, according to the results of a large federally funded study.

21 Oct 2024

Study reveals racial bias in postsurgical analgesia

While recovering from major surgery, Black patients may be less likely to receive certain multimodal analgesia options and more likely to receive oral opioids than white patients, according to research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2024 annual meeting.

21 Oct 2024

It's official! Men and women experience and manage pain differently

Researchers uncover sex-specific pain management mechanisms, revealing men rely on endogenous opioids while women use alternative pathways for pain relief.

21 Oct 2024

Study suggests NSAIDs may lower postoperative delirium risk

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, may help reduce patients' risk of postoperative delirium, according to a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2024 annual meeting.

20 Oct 2024

Understanding how men and women process pain differently

In a new study evaluating meditation for chronic lower back pain, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that men and women utilize different biological systems to relieve pain.

16 Oct 2024

University of Michigan receives grant to study pain management in opioid use disorder

The University of Michigan will use a new $3.6 million federal grant to study how pain and opioids after surgery impact people with opioid use disorder, how guidelines might be adjusted to address post-surgical pain and how to prevent opioid-related harms.

12 Oct 2024

Smoking cessation programs could help combat opioid epidemic

Smoking is recognized as a leading cause of preventable disability and death. New research shows that as smokers increase their daily number of cigarettes, they report higher rates of chronic pain, more prescription opioid use, severe work limitations due to pain, and poor mental health.

9 Oct 2024

Tiny molecule offers hope in reducing opioid side effects

Opioid drugs are highly effective at relieving pain but come with severe drawbacks. Their side effects range from dizziness to potentially fatal respiratory depression.

9 Oct 2024

Poppy seed brew triggers morphine overdose, drawing attention of lawmakers

It sounds like a joke: poppy seeds infused with opioids. Indeed, it was a plotline on the sitcom Seinfeld. But for some it has been a tragedy.

9 Oct 2024

New deep-learning framework identifies non-addictive pain relief options

An estimated one in five Americans live with chronic pain and current treatment options leave much to be desired.

7 Oct 2024

Study paves way to more efficient non-addictive treatment for chronic pain

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a new comprehensive mapping of genetic activity for understanding the causes of chronic pain.

4 Oct 2024

NIH supports research on non-opioid pain relief for oral cancer patients

The School of Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) earned the first National Institutes of Health grant under its new Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research, addressing pain in patients with head and neck carcinoma.

4 Oct 2024

Vance-Walz debate highlighted clear health policy differences

Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz met in an Oct. 1 vice presidential debate hosted by CBS News that was cordial and heavy on policy discussion — a striking change from the Sept. 10 debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

2 Oct 2024

AAP publishes first clinical guideline for opioid use in pediatric care

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published its first clinical guideline for pediatricians on prescribing opioids, including explicit instructions on how and when to prescribe these medications for pain while reducing the long-term risk of addiction.

30 Sep 2024

Study highlights inequities in emergency care for unintentional ingestions in children

Unintentional injuries like falls, drownings and poisonings are the leading cause of death in patients ages 1-4, and a significant portion of these deaths are linked to unintentional ingestions-;such as swallowing a drug or poison.

27 Sep 2024

Study links semaglutide to reduced opioid overdose risk in patients with OUD and diabetes

Since being deemed a public health emergency in 2017, opioids are responsible for 72% of drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.

25 Sep 2024

Endoscopic spine surgery reduces opioid use and postoperative pain

An emerging type of minimally invasive spine surgery reduces the use of pain medication in patients' recovery compared to those who undergo other less minimally invasive spine surgery, which use larger incisions that result in more postoperative pain, according to a study published in World Neurosurgery in September.

20 Sep 2024

New curriculum aims to address substance use disorders in medical education

Nearly 6,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occurred in California in 2021, many due to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid.

19 Sep 2024

Liposomal bupivacaine shows no advantage in postoperative pain management for older adults

For older adults undergoing hemiarthroplasty for hip fracture, intraoperative use of liposomal bupivacaine does not improve pain scores or other relevant outcomes, compared to conventional bupivacaine, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

19 Sep 2024