AAP releases first opioid prescribing guidelines for children
Editor's Note The first clinical guidance for prescribing opioids to children recommend combining the drugs with nonopioid medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen rather than as monotherapy, according to a September 30 report in Healio. Released by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the guidance also specifies that naloxone should also…
HHS announces $75 million investment in rural healthcare
Editor's Note The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has announced nearly $75 million in funding to address critical challenges in rural health, including opioid treatment, maternal health care in the South, and supporting the financial stability of rural…
Study: Nearly 10% of patients on prescription opioids develop dependency or disorder
Editor's Note Research reveals nearly 10% of patients treated with prescription opioid painkillers develop opioid dependency or opioid use disorder (OUD), Healio reported on August 13. Additionally, nearly 30% of patients exhibit signs and symptoms indicating potential OUD. Originally published in the journal Addiction, the data are from a systematic…
Two-question survey could help improve pain management, reduce opioid use
Editor's Note A simple, two-question survey could help identify patients most likely to develop chronic pain during recovery from surgery or injury and direct them toward proactive, holistic services that reduce reliance on opioids. NEJM Catalyst published the findings on March 20. Conducted by a research team from Duke University,…
How data puts the ‘value’ in value-based care
What if a surgeon decided to perform a procedure on a patient that was not totally necessary? It happens more often that one might realize. As recently as August 2023, Forbes published an article that cited a Harvard Business Review report stating that over 50% of lumbar spine surgeries are…
New Joint Commission requirements for total hip, knee replacements focus on opioids, diabetes
Editor's Note The Joint Commission has released revised requirements for the advanced disease-specific care certification for total hip and total knee replacement (THKR). The requirements, which are designed to align with the updated AAOS clinical practice guidelines, go into effect July 1, 2024 and focus largely on addressing opioids and…
Anti-inflammatory drug reduces opioid requests after surgery
Editor's Note: An FDA-approved anti-inflammatory drug used to treat poisoning and liver damage could help reduce patient requests for opioids after surgery, according to findings published October 25 in the Future Medicine journal Pain Management. The study involved 50 patients who were given either a set dose of the anti-inflammatory…
Postoperative opioid prescriptions falling, but more improvement needed
Editor's Note A new study finds that while opioid prescriptions for postoperative pain relief have continued to decline, that downward trend has slowed since 2020, indicating the need for continued work to right-size opioid prescriptions for surgery patients. The findings were published by JAMA Network on December 7. Researchers looking…
Researchers look for genetic drivers of postop pain
Editor's Note A new study that attempted to find genetic drivers of postoperative pain uncovered only two associated alleles, suggesting wider examination is needed. The findings were published in the American Society of Anesthesiologists journal Anesthesiology December 2023 issue. The researchers looked at 163 studies and evaluated 129 genes and…
Limiting opioid medication did not negatively impact patients post-surgery
Editor's Note A 5-day limit on opioid pain medication prescriptions in Michigan did not negatively impact patient-reported pain levels or satisfaction, JAMA Network October 13 reports. The study, titled "Changes in surgical opioid prescribing and patient-reported outcomes after implementation of an insurer opioid prescribing limit," was published by JAMA Health…
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