Title |
Opioids and Chronic Pain: Where Is the Balance?
|
---|---|
Published in |
Current Oncology Reports, November 2016
|
DOI | 10.1007/s11912-016-0558-1 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Mellar P. Davis, Zankhana Mehta |
Abstract |
Chronic opioid therapy (defined as greater than 3 months on opioids) is a common practice for those with non-cancer pain, cancer survivors with treatment-related pain, and individuals with cancer undergoing disease-modifying therapy with a survival that can be for a year or more. Recent studies have found unique long-term toxicities with opioids which reduce the utility of opioid therapy in chronic pain. The risk of addiction, depression, central hypogonadism, sleep-disordered breathing, impaired wound healing, infections, cognitive impairment, falls, non-vertebral fractures, and mortality are increased in populations on long-term opioids. Factors associated with these risks are related to dose, duration of opioid therapy, type of opioid, and formula (long-acting, short-acting). This state-of-the-art review discusses the risks and benefits of chronic opioid therapy and strategies to increase utility and diminish risks to opioid therapy. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 2 | 40% |
Slovenia | 1 | 20% |
United Kingdom | 1 | 20% |
Unknown | 1 | 20% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 3 | 60% |
Scientists | 1 | 20% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 20% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Colombia | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 116 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 20 | 17% |
Student > Master | 16 | 14% |
Researcher | 13 | 11% |
Other | 12 | 10% |
Student > Postgraduate | 8 | 7% |
Other | 28 | 24% |
Unknown | 21 | 18% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 38 | 32% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 13 | 11% |
Psychology | 8 | 7% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 7 | 6% |
Neuroscience | 6 | 5% |
Other | 25 | 21% |
Unknown | 21 | 18% |