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Opioids
Key takeaways Multimodal therapy is essential in treating acute traumatic pain for patients on opioid maintenance therapy. Patients on opioid maintenance therapy or with chronic opioid use can…
By Julie Cullen, Managing Editor, American Nurse Today In March, CNN reported on an opioid shortage caused by problems with manufacturing as well as government restrictions in an…
In older adults with arthritis, opioid use increases the risk of fractures and safety events requiring hospitalization, compared to nonselective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs) and selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors (coxibs),…
On Jan. 9, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance document to assist industry in developing new formulations of opioid drugs with that…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning letter to Alkermes, Inc. due to misbranding on the drug Vivitrol, which is used to prevent opioid…
Myth debunking and better recognition of respiratory compromise can help prevent deaths.
On Aug. 8, The Joint Commission released the Sentinel Event Alert, “Safe use of opioids in hospitals.” The Alert warns of opioid-induced respirator depression and offers strategies for…
Researchers have developed a new opioid drug, UMB 425, which is as strong as morphine, but has reduced tolerance over time and no obvious toxic effects. The drug…
Understanding how and why anesthesia providers select analgesic agents. Takeaways: Many options exist for managing intraoperative and postoperative surgical pain. Medications used for pain management can be broken…
In some situations, the answer may be neither. In a recent randomized clinical trial of 240 patients with moderate to severe chronic back pain or hip or knee…
The increase in use of prescribed opioids among women during pregnancy has probably contributed to the rise in neonatal abstinence syndrome, according to an editorial in BMJ. Read…
Understand the terms opioid tolerant and opioid naïve so you can safely administer opioids and protect patients.
It’s your worst nightmare: At 8 A.M., you walk into the room of Laura M, a 35-year-old patient who had surgery yesterday, for your morning assessment. She’s unresponsive. The…
Lives in the balance By Leah Curtin, RN, ScD(h), FAAN It’s 3 am and you’re called to an apartment complex for a person down. You arrive and find…
Nurses can help avoid negative effects of opioids while ensuring patient pain is managed. Takeaways: Pain management can be complicated by individual patients’ previous pain experiences, genetics, ability…
Anne Fuqua, a former nurse, recently shared her opioid crisis story in the Washington Post. But it’s not the story you might be expecting to hear. Anne isn’t…
To help reduce the rise in opioid prescriptions, misuse, and overdose, healthcare professionals must improve their pain management knowledge, decrease opioid prescriptions as appropriate, and provide patients with…
Safe, effective pain control hinges on a multimodal approach that addresses the cause of pain and uses medications and other interventions that relieve the patient’s specific type of…
Acute pain management in the trauma patient on chronic opiate therapy
Key takeaways Multimodal therapy is essential in treating acute traumatic pain for patients on opioid maintenance therapy. Patients on opioid maintenance therapy or with…
Are you running short of injectable opioids?
By Julie Cullen, Managing Editor, American Nurse Today In March, CNN reported on an opioid shortage caused by problems with manufacturing as well as…
Compared to nsNSAIDs and coxibs, opioid use in older adults with arthritis increases risk of safety events
In older adults with arthritis, opioid use increases the risk of fractures and safety events requiring hospitalization, compared to nonselective NSAIDs (nsNSAIDs) and selective…
FDA issue draft guidance on making opioids harder to abuse
On Jan. 9, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance document to assist industry in developing new formulations of…
FDA issues warning letter for medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning letter to Alkermes, Inc. due to misbranding on the drug Vivitrol, which is…
Improving outcomes in med-surg patients with opioid-induced respiratory depression
Myth debunking and better recognition of respiratory compromise can help prevent deaths.
Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert on opioid use in hospitals
On Aug. 8, The Joint Commission released the Sentinel Event Alert, “Safe use of opioids in hospitals.” The Alert warns of opioid-induced respirator depression…
New pain drug developed
Researchers have developed a new opioid drug, UMB 425, which is as strong as morphine, but has reduced tolerance over time and no obvious…
Opioid and non-opioid analgesia during surgery
Understanding how and why anesthesia providers select analgesic agents. Takeaways: Many options exist for managing intraoperative and postoperative surgical pain. Medications used for pain…
Opioids vs non-opioids: Which are better?
In some situations, the answer may be neither. In a recent randomized clinical trial of 240 patients with moderate to severe chronic back pain…
Prescribed opioids among pregnant women may have contributed to increase in neonatal abstinence syndrome
The increase in use of prescribed opioids among women during pregnancy has probably contributed to the rise in neonatal abstinence syndrome, according to an…
Preventing complications in patients receiving opioids
Understand the terms opioid tolerant and opioid naïve so you can safely administer opioids and protect patients.
The case for capnography in patients receiving opioids
It’s your worst nightmare: At 8 A.M., you walk into the room of Laura M, a 35-year-old patient who had surgery yesterday, for your morning…
The opioid crisis and the matter of consent
Lives in the balance By Leah Curtin, RN, ScD(h), FAAN It’s 3 am and you’re called to an apartment complex for a person down.…
Treating pain while mindful of opioid risks
Nurses can help avoid negative effects of opioids while ensuring patient pain is managed. Takeaways: Pain management can be complicated by individual patients’ previous…
Two sides to the opioid crisis
Anne Fuqua, a former nurse, recently shared her opioid crisis story in the Washington Post. But it’s not the story you might be expecting…
What works: Managing opioid overdose in the community
To help reduce the rise in opioid prescriptions, misuse, and overdose, healthcare professionals must improve their pain management knowledge, decrease opioid prescriptions as appropriate,…
What you should know about first-line pain medications
Safe, effective pain control hinges on a multimodal approach that addresses the cause of pain and uses medications and other interventions that relieve the…