Pain
From the Journals
Preoperative tramadol fails to improve function after knee surgery
Patients given preoperative tramadol showed less improvement at 3 months than those given narcotics or no opiates.
From the Journals
Gynecologic surgeries linked with persistent opioid use
Nearly 7% of women received new opioid prescriptions months after common – and even minimally invasive – gynecologic procedures.
From the Journals
Opioid use curbed with patient education and lower prescription quantities
Postsurgery patients given education on opioids and prescribed fewer tablets took less medication.
Feature
Opioid prescriptions declined 33% over 5 years
The number of opioid prescriptions decreased 33% nationally from 2013 to 2018, according to the new report from the American Medical Association...
Conference Coverage
Pain coping skills training doesn’t improve knee arthroplasty outcomes
TORONTO – A high level of pain catastrophizing prior to scheduled knee arthroplasty is not, as previously thought, a harbinger of poor outcomes....
Conference Coverage
Opioid management program reduced number of narcotics prescribed after breast surgery
Researchers examined 100 consecutive patients after a 3-month implementation period and found a statistically significant reduction in median...
Conference Coverage
Outpatient program successfully tackles substance use and chronic pain
MILWAUKEE – Pain and substance use issues are frequently comorbid in the military health population.
News from the FDA/CDC
CDC warns against misuse of opioid-prescribing guideline
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are advising against misapplication of the agency’s guideline on opioid prescribing....
Feature
Report calls for focus on ‘subpopulations’ to fight opioid epidemic
“Methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release naltrexone ... save lives” but most people with OUD get no treatment, new report says.
Conference Coverage
Better communication with pharmacists can improve postop pain control
A pharmacist advises surgeons to make sure to adjust medications based on preoperative or intraoperative doses to avoid endangering patients by...
Conference Coverage
Bariatric surgery may be appropriate for class 1 obesity