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A study in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology examined the efficacy of using an ice pack post laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign conditions. 51 women were in either the control or intervention group. The intervention: postsurgery ice packs on the abdomen, in the operating room. Pain and...
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Preventing the deaths of Veterans, whether accidental overdoses or suicides, is a high priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The statistics are awful: in the United States, about 17 Veterans a day kill themselves. A committee has been formed to examining the dangers of Veterans taking...
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In life-saving news, the FDA has approved, for the first time, over the counter use of Narcan, 4 mg naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray. By increasing ease of access by selling directly to consumers whether online or via grocery stores, gas stations, drug stores, or convenience shops, the FDA hopes...
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A literature review of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) and their potential to repair/regenerate tissues was published in the Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery. Most OA treatments are aimed at pain reduction and researchers noted:
- Surgical treatments include: joint distraction...
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Two pharmacists, Drs. Jasmine Carpenter and Lindsay Wells, answer our questions about leftover opioids, opioid overprescribing, and the impact of COVID. Dr. Carpenter works at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. Dr. Wells works at the Lexington VA in Virginia. She is a clinical pain pharmacist and...
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In an article in the Cell journal, scientists from China and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have researched the structural framework of opioid receptors in an effort to build better pain management and limit side effects. “This collaboration revealed conserved, or shared...
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Black patients: prescribed opioids less frequently yet undergo more urine drug screenings. The Journal of Clinical Oncology reports on various healthcare disparities affecting older patients at end of life. Findings from over 300,000 decedents >65 years with poor-prognosis cancers include:
- Receiv...
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Does cannabis use impact levels of anesthesia during surgery? The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine) has developed guidelines for screening patients, presurgery, for cannabis use. Use of cannabis—whether recreational or medicinal—can interact and affect...
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Post outpatient surgery for joint replacement, what are the benefits and/or drawbacks of sending a patient home with dexamethasone pills for pain? Over 100 patients at an institution received either dexamethasone or placebo for 4 days after a total knee arthroplasty. Pain scores for postoperative...
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The journal of Science reports findings from researchers accessing chemotypes from a virtual library of over 300 million molecules. The authors of the study “computationally docked each virtual molecule into the highly similar α2BAR binding site, prioritizing those that physically fit and that were...