Low dose lofexidine for medically directed outpatient opioid tapering in adults with chronic pain: a prospective case series.

BACKGROUND: In adults with chronic pain, mild-to-moderate withdrawal symptoms during medically directed opioid tapering in the outpatient setting may not be accompanied by hypertension or tachycardia. This clinical scenario could limit the use of lofexidine at dosages reported in clinical trials of opioid withdrawal precipitated by abrupt opioid discontinuation. Thus, the primary aim of this prospective case series is to describe the use of low dose lofexidine for opioid withdrawal in patients with chronic pain undergoing medically directed opioid tapering in an outpatient setting. METHODS: Six patients (white 5, Latino 1) admitted to an outpatient interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program met inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients self-selected to undergo medically directed opioid tapering, and the medication the patients were prescribed upon admission was used in the taper schedule. Upon initiation of the opioid taper, patients received 0.18 mg of lofexidine every 6 hours. RESULTS: Five of the six patients were women, and the median morphine milligram equivalents at baseline were 36.9. The median taper duration was 15 days, and the median duration of lofexidine administration was 14 days. Withdrawal scores were mild throughout the taper in four patients, and two patients with fibromyalgia experienced single episodes of moderately severe withdrawal symptoms at the median morphine milligram equivalent midpoint of the taper. No hypotension or sustained bradycardia were observed, and no adverse effects related to lofexidine were reported. CONCLUSION: The observations from this prospective case series suggest that low-dose lofexidine may be a feasible adjunct medication to attenuate withdrawal symptoms in adults with chronic pain undergoing outpatient opioid tapering.

Preoperative Epidural Steroid Injections and Postoperative Infections After Lumbar or Cervical Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To determine the risk difference and 95% prediction intervals (PIs) for postoperative infections (POIs) associated with preoperative epidural steroid injections (ESIs) in adults undergoing lumbar or cervical spine surgery. Methods: Comprehensive database searches were conducted from inception dates through December 2023. Inclusion criteria included all study designs involving adults receiving a preoperative ESI before lumbar or cervical decompression or fusion spine surgery. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified tool developed for uncontrolled studies. The summary estimates of risk difference and the corresponding PIs were reported. Results: A total of 12 studies were included in the systematic review, of which 9 were included in the meta-analysis. Preoperative ESIs within 1 month of lumbar spine decompression or fusion surgery were associated with a 0.6% and 2.31% greater risk of a POI, respectively. In adults ≥65 years of age, ESIs within 1 or 1-3 months of lumbar spine decompression or fusion surgery were associated with a 1.3% and 0.6% greater risk of a POI, respectively. Preoperative ESIs within 3 months of cervical spine fusion were not associated with an increased risk of a POI. The bounds of all corresponding 95% PIs were nonsignificant. Conclusion: The observations of this study provide summary estimates of risk difference and 95% PIs, which could be used to support shared decision-making about the use of ESIs before cervical or lumbar spine surgery.

ASRA Pain Medicine consensus guidelines on the management of the perioperative patient on cannabis and cannabinoids.

BACKGROUND: The past two decades have seen an increase in cannabis use due to both regulatory changes and an interest in potential therapeutic effects of the substance, yet many aspects of the substance and their health implications remain controversial or unclear. METHODS: In November 2020, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine charged the Cannabis Working Group to develop guidelines for the perioperative use of cannabis. The Perioperative Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids Guidelines Committee was charged with drafting responses to the nine key questions using a modified Delphi method with the overall goal of producing a document focused on the safe management of surgical patients using cannabinoids. A consensus recommendation required ≥75% agreement. RESULTS: Nine questions were selected, with 100% consensus achieved on third-round voting. Topics addressed included perioperative screening, postponement of elective surgery, concomitant use of opioid and cannabis perioperatively, implications for parturients, adjustment in anesthetic and analgesics intraoperatively, postoperative monitoring, cannabis use disorder, and postoperative concerns. Surgical patients using cannabinoids are at potential increased risk for negative perioperative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Specific clinical recommendations for perioperative management of cannabis and cannabinoids were successfully created.

Long-Term Opioid Therapy Among Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in the Community: A Lupus Midwest Network (LUMEN) Study.

OBJECTIVE: There is little information about the epidemiology and factors associated with opioid therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to assess the prevalence of opioid therapy and explore factors associated with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) in patients with SLE. METHODS: Patients with SLE were matched with controls without SLE in a population-based cohort on January 1, 2015. We captured demographics, manifestations of SLE, comorbidities (ie, fibromyalgia, mood disorders, osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain [CLBP], chronic kidney disease (CKD), avascular necrosis, osteoporosis, fragility fractures, and cancer), and the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). Opioid prescription data were used to assess the prevalence of LTOT, defined as contiguous prescriptions (gaps of < 30 days between prescriptions) and receiving opioid therapy for ≥ 90 days or ≥ 10 prescriptions before the index date. RESULTS: A total of 465 patients with SLE and 465 controls without SLE were included. In total, 13% of patients with SLE and 3% of controls without SLE were receiving opioid therapy (P < 0.001), and 11% of patients with SLE were on LTOT vs 1% of controls without SLE. Among patients with SLE, acute pericarditis (odds ratio [OR] 3.92, 95% CI 1.78-8.66), fibromyalgia (OR 7.78, 95% CI 3.89-15.55), fragility fractures (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.25-11.07), CLBP (OR 4.00, 95% CI 2.13-7.51), and mood disorders (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.47-5.16) were associated with LTOT. We did not find an association between opioid therapy and ADI. CONCLUSION: Patients with SLE are more likely to receive LTOT than controls. Among patients with SLE, LTOT was associated with pericarditis and several comorbidities. However, LTOT was not associated with CKD despite the limited pain control options among these patients.

Effects of the ABCB1 c.3435C>T (rs1045642) Polymorphism on Heat Pain Perception in Opioid-Free Adults With Chronic Pain.

BACKGROUND: The adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette, subfamily B, member 1 gene (ABCB1) encodes P-glycoprotein (P-gp) that influences the intracellular transport of solutes including endogenous opioid peptides. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of the ABCB1 polymorphism c.3435C>T (rs10454642) on heat pain (HP) perception in a group of opioid-free adults with chronic pain. METHODS: Opioid-free adults with chronic pain consecutively admitted to a pain rehabilitation program comprised the study cohort (N = 134). Individuals were genotyped for the c.3435C>T (rs10454642) polymorphism. The polymorphism was analyzed with nonparametric tests using a dominant (cytosine-cytosine [CC] versus cytosine-thymine [CT] + thymine-thymine [TT]) and recessive (CC + CT versus TT) model of allele effects. Quantitative sensory testing was performed using the Computer Aided Sensory Evaluator IV system. RESULTS: The distribution of genotypes was 22% (N = 29) for CC, 45% (N = 60) for CT, and 33% (N = 45) for TT (Hardy-Weinberg, P > .1). A significant association was observed between the recessive model and HP threshold. Standardized values of HP threshold were significantly greater in the TT group than the CC + CT group (median difference, -0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], -1.49 to -0.23; P = .005), and the effect size estimate was small (Cliff delta = 0.30). In the dominant model, no significant difference in HP threshold was observed between the CC and CT + TT groups (median difference, -0.45; 95% CI, -1.15 to 0.00; P = .108). CONCLUSIONS: These results posit that the efflux of endogenous opioid peptides is reduced in individuals with the TT genotype due to lower expression of P-gp, which, in turn, results in higher HP threshold. This study contributes to the emerging understanding of how the ABCB1 c.3435C>T polymorphism contributes to pain perception in opioid-free adults with chronic pain and provides the foundation for investigating the potential effects of this polymorphism on the clinical course of chronic pain.

Lidocaine for postoperative pain after cardiac surgery: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Lidocaine is one of the most widely used local anesthetics with well-known pharmacological properties. The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the effects of lidocaine on postoperative pain scores and recovery after cardiac surgery. METHODS: A comprehensive database search was conducted by a reference librarian for randomized clinical trials (RCT) from January 1, 1980 to September 1, 2019. Eligible study designs included randomized controlled trials of lidocaine for postoperative pain management in adults undergoing cardiac surgery. After removal of duplicates, 947 records were screened for eligibility and 3 RCTs met inclusion criteria. RESULTS: Sources of bias were identified in 2 of 3 RCTs. Lidocaine was administered intravenously, topically, and intrapleurally. Key findings included [1] 2% lidocaine placed topically on chest tube prior to intraoperative insertion was associated with significantly lower pain scores and lower cumulative doses of fentanyl; and [2] 2% lidocaine administered intrapleurally was associated with significantly lower pain scores and significant improvements in pulmonary mechanics. Lidocaine infusions were not associated with significant changes in pain scores or measures of recovery. No significant associations were observed between lidocaine and overall mortality, hospital length of stay or ICU length of stay. No data were reported for postoperative nausea and vomiting or arrhythmias. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the favorable risk profile of topical lidocaine and the need for further advancements in the postoperative care of adults after cardiac surgery, topically administered lidocaine could be considered for incorporation into established postoperative recovery protocols.

Increasing cessation motivation and treatment engagement among smokers in pain: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Tobacco smokers with co-occurring pain report greater difficulty quitting, face unique cessation challenges, and may benefit from targeted smoking interventions. We developed and tested a brief motivational intervention aimed at increasing knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations, motivation to quit, and cessation treatment engagement among smokers in pain. Nontreatment seeking daily cigarette smokers with chronic pain (N = 76, 57.9% women, 52.6% White) were randomized to the targeted or ask, advise, refer (AAR) intervention. The targeted intervention included personalized feedback and pain-smoking psychoeducation to help participants develop discrepancy between continued smoking and desired pain outcomes. At postintervention, the targeted intervention (vs. AAR) increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations and several indices of motivation to quit smoking (ps < .01). Participants who received the targeted intervention were also more likely to accept information about and report intention to engage evidence-based cessation treatments (ps < .05). Increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations mediated postintervention effects on motivation to quit and willingness to learn about treatments. At 1-month follow up, gains in knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations were maintained (p = .009). Participants who received the targeted intervention were more likely to report having subsequently engaged cessation treatment (p = .019), but this was not mediated by increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations. Smokers with chronic pain may benefit from targeted interventions that address smoking in the context of pain. Smokers in pain may become increasingly motivated to quit and engage cessation treatment as they become aware of how smoking may exacerbate their pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Severe neck pain and odynophagia secondary to acute calcific longus colli tendinitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute calcific longus colli tendinitis is a rare, noninfectious inflammatory condition caused by the deposition of calcium crystals. The condition is self-limiting, yet commonly misdiagnosed. Here we report a case of a patient with severe neck pain and odynophagia initially misdiagnosed as a retropharyngeal abscess before establishing the correct diagnosis of acute calcific longus colli tendinitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old Caucasian man presented to an outside emergency department with a 5-day history of neck pain and odynophagia. The neck pain was severe and aggravated by movement. Laboratory evaluation revealed leukocytosis and elevated C-reactive protein. Computed tomography of his neck soft tissues was initially interpreted as a retropharyngeal abscess. Antibiotic therapy with piperacillin/tazobactam was initiated, and the patient was transferred to our tertiary care center for further evaluation and treatment. On physical examination, the patient's neck range of motion was significantly diminished, and bilateral neck tenderness was present. An otolaryngologist performed an examination with laryngoscopy, the result of which was unremarkable. A radiologist at our facility interpreted his outside magnetic resonance imaging as showing "calcification in the prevertebral muscles at C1-C2, inflammation with edema of the prevertebral muscles, and retropharyngeal space edema/effusion," consistent with acute calcific longus colli tendinitis. His antibiotics were discontinued, and he was started on intravenous ketorolac. He had significant improvement in his neck range of motion, and his pain diminished greatly. He was discharged on a 10-day course of diclofenac (50 mg three times daily). At 1-week follow-up, the patient was doing well; he had returned to work, and his pain was well controlled. CONCLUSIONS: This case report details the presentation, characteristic radiographic findings, and management of a patient with an extremely rare condition of neck pain and odynophagia that could be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The System Is Broken: A Qualitative Assessment of Opioid Prescribing Practices After Spine Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate factors that influence opioid prescribing behaviors of key stakeholders after major spine surgery, with a focus on barriers to optimized prescribing. METHODS: In-person semi-structured interviews were performed with 20 surgical and medical professionals (January 23, 2019 to June 11, 2019) at a large academic medical center, including resident physicians, midlevel providers, attending physicians, and clinical pharmacists. Interviews centered on perceptions of postoperative prescribing practices were coded and analyzed using a qualitative inductive approach. RESULTS: Several unique themes emerged. First, wide interprovider variation exists in the perceived role of opioid prescribing guidelines. Second, there are important relationships between clinical experience, time constraints, and postoperative opioid prescribing. Third, opioid tapering is a major area of inconsistency. Fourth, there are serious challenges in managing analgesic expectations, particularly in those with chronic pain. Finally, there is currently no process to facilitate the hand-off or transition of opioid prescribing responsibility between surgical and primary care teams, which represents a major area for practice optimization efforts. CONCLUSION: Despite increased focus on postoperative opioid prescribing, there remain numerous areas for improvement. The development of tools and processes to address critical gaps in postoperative prescribing will be essential for our efforts to reduce long-term opioid use after major spine surgery and improve patient care.

Association Between Spine Surgery and Availability of Opioid Medication.

Importance: Prolonged prescribing of opioids after spine surgery is often perceived as a negative outcome, but successful opioid reduction may occur despite continued prescribing. Improved characterization of opioid availability before and after surgery is necessary to identify these successes. Objective: To evaluate the association between spine surgery and modification of opioid availability postoperatively by using consistent definitions to classify opioid availability before and after surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study included 2223 adults (age ≥18 years) who underwent spine surgery in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from April 1, 2019, to December 1, 2019. Exposures: Preoperative opioid availability based on prescription data in the 180 days before surgery in accordance with Consortium to Study Opioid Risks and Trends (CONSORT) definitions. Main Outcomes and Measures: Successful modification of opioid availability, defined as an improvement in CONSORT status postoperatively (assessed from 181 to 365 days after surgery) compared with preoperative status, or continued absence of opioid availability for patients with no preoperative availability. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between preoperative opioid availability and successful modification by 1 year after undergoing surgery. Results: Of 2223 patients included in the study, 1214 were male (54.6%), with a median age of 55 years (interquartile range, 43-68) years. Patients were classified as having no (778 [35.0%]), short-term (1118 [50.3%]), episodic (227 [10.2%]), or long-term (100 [4.5%]) preoperative opioid availability. Of the 2148 patients (96.6%) who were alive at 1 year, postoperative opioid availability was classified as no (1583 [73.7%]), short-term (398 [18.5%]), episodic (104 [4.8%]), and long-term (63 [2.9%]). A total of 1672 patients (77.8%) had successful modification of opioid availability, with success of 83.0% for those with no preoperative availability, 74.9% for those with short-term preoperative availability, 79.8% for those with episodic preoperative availability, and 64.4% for those with long-term preoperative opioid availability. In multivariable analysis, success was significantly associated with preoperative opioid availability (odds ratio [OR] for short term, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.48-0.77]; OR for episodic, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.64-1.40]; OR long term, 0.49 [95% CI, 0.30-0.82]; P < .001 overall vs no availability). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, when following standardized CONSORT definitions, 4 of 5 adults undergoing spine surgery in a population-based cohort met the criteria for a successful pattern of postoperative opioid prescribing. Similar methods to objectively assess changes in opioid prescribing may be clinically useful in other perioperative settings.

Pain Management Best Practices from Multispecialty Organizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Health Crises.

BACKGROUND: It is nearly impossible to overestimate the burden of chronic pain, which is associated with enormous personal and socioeconomic costs. Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability in the world, is associated with multiple psychiatric comorbidities, and has been causally linked to the opioid crisis. Access to pain treatment has been called a fundamental human right by numerous organizations. The current COVID-19 pandemic has strained medical resources, creating a dilemma for physicians charged with the responsibility to limit spread of the contagion and to treat the patients they are entrusted to care for. METHODS: To address these issues, an expert panel was convened that included pain management experts from the military, Veterans Health Administration, and academia. Endorsement from stakeholder societies was sought upon completion of the document within a one-week period. RESULTS: In these guidelines, we provide a framework for pain practitioners and institutions to balance the often-conflicting goals of risk mitigation for health care providers, risk mitigation for patients, conservation of resources, and access to pain management services. Specific issues discussed include general and intervention-specific risk mitigation, patient flow issues and staffing plans, telemedicine options, triaging recommendations, strategies to reduce psychological sequelae in health care providers, and resource utilization. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 public health crisis has strained health care systems, creating a conundrum for patients, pain medicine practitioners, hospital leaders, and regulatory officials. Although this document provides a framework for pain management services, systems-wide and individual decisions must take into account clinical considerations, regional health conditions, government and hospital directives, resource availability, and the welfare of health care providers.

A Practical Approach for the Management of the Mixed Opioid Agonist-Antagonist Buprenorphine During Acute Pain and Surgery.

The use of buprenorphine, a mixed opioid agonist-antagonist, for the management of chronic pain and/or opioid use disorder is increasing. As such, medical providers will more frequently encounter patients on this therapy. In this paper, we synthesize existing knowledge (derived through keyword searches using MEDLINE databases) in a novel conceptual framework for patients on buprenorphine presenting with acute pain or for those requiring surgical or invasive procedures. This framework is based on three unique domains: the patient, the features of the acute pain insult, and the environment. We discuss important considerations regarding the unique aspects of buprenorphine formulations and dosing, and we describe the importance of multidisciplinary planning and multimodal analgesic strategies. We also highlight important differences in management strategies based upon the presence or absence of opioid use disorder. All medical providers must be prepared to guide the patient on buprenorphine safely through the acute care episode, which includes adequate treatment of acute pain and avoidance of iatrogenic harm, including both short-term complications (eg, respiratory depression) and long-term complications (eg, relapse to opioid use).

Prevalence of smoking in adults with spinal cord stimulators: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Smoking adversely impacts pain-related outcomes of spinal cord stimulation (SCS). However, the proportion of SCS patients at risk of worse outcomes is limited by an incomplete knowledge of smoking prevalence in this population. Thus, the primary aim of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence of smoking in adults with chronic pain treated with SCS. METHODS: A comprehensive search of databases from 1 January 1980 to 3 January 2019 was conducted. Eligible study designs included (1) randomized trials; (2) prospective and retrospective cohort studies; and (3) cross-sectional studies. The risk of bias was assessed using a tool specifically developed for prevalence studies. A total of 1619 records were screened, 19 studies met inclusion criteria, and the total number of participants was 10 838. RESULTS: Thirteen studies had low or moderate risk of bias, and six had a high risk of bias. All 19 studies reported smoking status and the pooled prevalence was 38% (95% CI 30% to 47%). The pooled prevalence in 6 studies of peripheral vascular diseases was 56% (95% CI 42% to 69%), the pooled prevalence of smoking in 11 studies of lumbar spine diagnoses was 28% (95% CI 20% to 36%) and the pooled prevalence in 2 studies of refractory angina was 44% (95% CI 31% to 58%). CONCLUSIONS: The estimated prevalence of smoking in SCS patients is 2.5 times greater than the general population. Future research should focus on development, testing and deployment of tailored smoking cessation treatments for SCS patients.

Treatment of lumbar vertebra epithelioid hemangioma with radiation therapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Although epithelioid hemangiomas involving bone have been described in previous case reports and case series, the effects of radiation therapy on vertebral epithelioid hemangioma has not been fully reported. Here we provide a case report of tumor response to radiation therapy in a young adult with a large epithelioid hemangioma involving the fourth lumbar vertebrae. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old Latino man with a past medical history of type 1 diabetes and a 3-year history of low back pain presented to a hospital emergency department following acute worsening of back pain. On transfer to our tertiary medical center, he described the pain as "shock-like" which originated at the lateral aspect of his right hip and radiated down to his right knee. Paresthesia was also reported along the medial aspect of his lower right leg. Imaging included a computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging which revealed fourth lumbar and right iliac lytic bone lesions. Image-guided biopsies of the lytic lesions were consistent with a diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioma and radiation therapy was recommended as the primary treatment. Our patient's low back and leg pain were initially managed with acetaminophen, oxycodone, pregabalin, and lidocaine patch 5%. He noted improvement in pain after his third fraction of radiation. Pain intensity continued to decline and oxycodone was discontinued. CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates an unusual etiology of back and leg pain in a young man and elucidates the palliative effects of radiation therapy for epithelioid hemangioma involving the lumbar spine.

Rates of Physician Coprescribing of Opioids and Benzodiazepines After the Release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines in 2016.

Importance: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in 2016 recommended avoiding concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines. Objective: To determine whether the release of the guidelines was associated with changes in coprescription of opioids and benzodiazepines. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used claims data obtained from a US national database of medical and pharmacy claims for 3 598 322 adult commercially insured patients and 1 299 142 Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries with no recent history of cancer, sickle cell disease, or hospice care who ever used prescribed opioids during the study period, January 1, 2014, through March 31, 2018. Exposures: Overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions filled. Main Outcomes and Measures: The extent (proportion of person-months with any overlapping days of prescription of opioids and benzodiazepines) and intensity (proportion of days with opioids prescribed where benzodiazepines were also available) of coprescription. Results: Of 4 897 464 patients (with 13.4 million person-months of opioid use), the total number of unique commercially insured individuals was 3 598 322 (1 974 731 women [54.9%]), and the total number of unique MA beneficiaries was 1 299 142 (770 256 women [59.3%]). Among 128 576 participants experiencing chronic pain episodes, more than one-half of person-months of long-term opioid use occurred in women (52.7% of person-months among those with commercial insurance and 62.4% of person-months among MA beneficiaries). The median (interquartile range) age of the participants was 51 (41-58) years for patients in the commercial insurance group and 70 (61-77) years for those in the MA group. The mean (SE) extent of coprescription was 23.0% (0.18%) for the commercial insurance group and 25.7% (0.18%) for the MA group. The extent of coprescription decreased in the targeted guideline population-individuals with long-term opioid use-after the guideline release (postguideline slope, -0.95 percentages point per year [95% CI, -1.44 to -0.46 percentage points per year] for the commercial insurance group and -1.06 percentage points per year [95% CI, -1.49 to -0.63 percentage points per year] for the MA group). Nontargeted short-term episodes of opioid use were associated with no change or small declines in trend (for the MA group, postguideline slope of 0.47 percentage point per year [95% CI, 0.35-0.59 percentage point per year]; for the commercial insurance group, postguideline slope of -0.05 percentage point per year [95% CI, -0.12 to 0.02 percentage point per year]). High coprescribing intensity was seen, with 79.3% (95% CI, 78.9%-79.6%) of opioid prescription days in the commercial insurance group and 83.9% (95% CI, 83.7%-84.2%) in the MA group overlapping with benzodiazepines. There was no change in the intensity of coprescribing. Intensity of coprescription was higher when the same clinician prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines. Conclusion and Relevance: This study observed a reduction in the extent but not intensity of coprescribing of benzodiazepines for patients with long-term opioid use.

Spinal Stimulation for the Treatment of Intractable Spine and Limb Pain: A Systematic Review of RCTs and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize the evidence regarding the effect of spinal stimulation (SS) vs medical therapy (MT) and the effect of newer SS technologies vs conventional SS on pain reduction in patients with intractable spine or limb pain. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted by a reference librarian. The literature search encompassed January 1, 1995 - December 31, 2017. Reviewers worked independently to select and appraise trials. Random-effect meta-analysis and frequentist indirect comparison methods were used to compare the three interventions. Results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) or weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% CIs. RESULTS: We identified 12 trials enrolling 980 patients. Compared with MT, SS significantly increased the odds of reducing pain by 50% or more in three trials (OR, 13.01; 95% CI, 4.96-34.17) and significantly reduced pain as measured by visual analogue scale scores in three trials (WMD, 1.43 scale points; 95% CI, 0.16-2.71). Using the common comparator of MT, newer stimulation technology (eg, high-frequency 10 kilohertz spinal stimulation, Burst, dorsal root ganglion) was associated with increased odds of pain relief compared with conventional SS (OR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.35-3.19). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with intractable spine/limb pain, SS was associated with better pain reduction than MT. New stimulation technology was likely associated with better pain reduction than conventional stimulation.

Chronic use of tramadol after acute pain episode: cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk of prolonged opioid use in patients receiving tramadol compared with other short acting opioids. DESIGN: Observational study of administrative claims data. SETTING: United States commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance claims (OptumLabs Data Warehouse) January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2018. PARTICIPANTS: Opioid-naive patients undergoing elective surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Risk of persistent opioid use after discharge for patients treated with tramadol alone compared with other short acting opioids, using three commonly used definitions of prolonged opioid use from the literature: additional opioid use (defined as at least one opioid fill 90-180 days after surgery); persistent opioid use (any span of opioid use starting in the 180 days after surgery and lasting ≥90 days); and CONSORT definition (an opioid use episode starting in the 180 days after surgery that spans ≥90 days and includes either ≥10 opioid fills or ≥120 days' supply of opioids). RESULTS: Of 444 764 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 357 884 filled a discharge prescription for one or more opioids associated with one of 20 included operations. The most commonly prescribed post-surgery opioid was hydrocodone (53.0% of those filling a single opioid), followed by short acting oxycodone (37.5%) and tramadol (4.0%). The unadjusted risk of prolonged opioid use after surgery was 7.1% (n=31 431) with additional opioid use, 1.0% (n=4457) with persistent opioid use, and 0.5% (n=2027) meeting the CONSORT definition. Receipt of tramadol alone was associated with a 6% increase in the risk of additional opioid use relative to people receiving other short acting opioids (incidence rate ratio 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.13; risk difference 0.5 percentage points; P=0.049), 47% increase in the adjusted risk of persistent opioid use (1.25 to 1.69; 0.5 percentage points; P<0.001), and 41% increase in the adjusted risk of a CONSORT chronic opioid use episode (1.08 to 1.75; 0.2 percentage points; P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: People receiving tramadol alone after surgery had similar to somewhat higher risks of prolonged opioid use compared with those receiving other short acting opioids. Federal governing bodies should consider reclassifying tramadol, and providers should use as much caution when prescribing tramadol in the setting of acute pain as for other short acting opioids.

Changes in Anxiety and Depression Are Mediated by Changes in Pain Severity in Patients Undergoing Lower-Extremity Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety are common comorbidities in chronic pain including osteoarthritis patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). What is not clear is whether psychiatric comorbidity precedes the manifestation of painful states or represents a reaction to living with chronic pain and associated functional impairment. The objective of this research was to explore whether decreases in depressive and anxiety symptoms after lower-extremity TJA could be due to postsurgical reductions in pain. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 1448 TJA patients enrolled in the Analgesics Outcome Study. Patients completed measures of pain intensity, functional status, and depressive and anxiety symptoms preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. RESULTS: We found that improvement in pain and physical function from baseline to 6 months postoperatively was associated with improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms. We also found that a change in overall body pain at 3 months after surgery significantly mediated changes in both the depression and anxiety scores at 6 months after surgery even when controlling for age, sex, baseline body pain, education, opioid use, and type of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Presurgical affective symptoms not only have an effect on change in postsurgical pain, whereby lower preoperative scores on depression and anxiety were associated with lower postsurgical pain, but also postsurgical decreases in pain were associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety after surgery. Taking these points into consideration may prove useful in working toward better outcomes for TJA.