Category: Pain / Anesthetics

It is known by some as “hillbilly heroin” - OxyContin (oxycodone) abuse has become so extensive in Appalachia that Kentucky officials have sued Purdue Pharma, the manufacturers of the prescription painkiller. The lawsuit was filed by General Greg Stumbo, Kentucky Attorney General. The lawsuit, which aims to recover millions of dollars, is claiming reimbursement for drug abuse program costs, law enforcement and Medicaid prescription payments.

A combination of two drugs can selectively block pain-sensing neurons in rats without impairing movement or other sensations such as touch, according to a new study by National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported investigators. The finding suggests an improved way to treat pain from childbirth and surgical procedures. It may also lead to new treatments to help the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic pain.

Imagine an epidural or a shot of Novocain that doesn’t paralyze your legs or make you numb, yet totally blocks your pain. This type of pain management is now within reach. As a result, childbirth, surgery and trips to the dentist might be less traumatic in the future, thanks to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, who have succeeded in selectively blocking pain-sensing neurons in rats without interfering with other types of neurons.

Orexo adds two new projects to its product and technology development portfolio, which will significantly enhance its presence within the therapeutic area of pain management. The first program is the development of a new, oral drug delivery technology using bioceramics developed by Orexo´s collaboration partner Doxa AB. This delivery technology will provide a controlled release of the active substance and also has the potential to lessen the risk of abuse of the pain medication.

At a time when both inadequate and overly aggressive pain management after surgery are commonplace in the United States, the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) has issued a 10-step action plan to address the factors that may lead to inappropriate medication use and potential adverse events for patients. ASPAN is the professional organization representing more than 55,000 nurses practicing in all phases of preanesthesia and postanesthesia.

A Mayo Clinic review of patients’ responses to a drug used to control nausea and vomiting during anesthesia for general surgery questions a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning against the drug’s use. This study appears in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology.The FDA warning against droperidol was prompted in 2001 over concerns that the drug contributed to potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities.

Physicians apparently learn to “shut off” the portion of their brain that helps them appreciate the pain their patients experience while treating them and instead activate a portion of the brain connected with controlling emotions, according to new research using brain scans at the University of Chicago.

People who have the common chronic pain condition fibromyalgia often report that they don’t respond to the types of medication that relieve other people’s pain. New research from the University of Michigan Health System helps to explain why that might be: Patients with fibromyalgia were found to have reduced binding ability of a type of receptor in the brain that is the target of opioid painkiller drugs such as morphine.

Nurses and physicians at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are using the latest technology to help young burn victims endure the extreme pain of dressing changes and wound care. Instead of traditional distraction devices, such as books and music, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Burn Center is now using virtual reality games to distract patients while nurses attend to the patients’ burn wounds.

A Mayo Clinic review of patients’ responses to a drug used to control nausea and vomiting during anesthesia for general surgery questions a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning against the drug’s use. This study appears in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology. The FDA warning against droperidol was prompted in 2001 over concerns that the drug contributed to potentially fatal heart rhythm abnormalities.