Opioids News and Research

RSS

An opioid is a chemical that works by binding to opioid receptors, which are found principally in the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract. The receptors in these two organ systems mediate both the beneficial effects and the side effects of opioids.

Mailed at-home disposal kits increase disposal rates of unused opioids after surgery

Mailed opioid disposal kits led to 60 percent of patients who had leftover opioid pain pills properly disposing of them after surgeries, according to a new study by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

6 May 2022

Hypertonic saline solution enhances glymphatic spinal cord delivery of pharmaceutical agents

The glymphatic system enables the flow of cerebrospinal fluid to the brain tissue, particularly during sleep, enabling the fluid to cleanse the tissue and carry accumulated metabolites with it towards the bloodstream during waking hours.

4 May 2022

Study shows how a non-opioid approach successfully manages women's pain after C-section

For years, women recovering from cesarean section (C-section) deliveries have been given devices that let them, with a button, control the flow of opioid painkillers into their IV line. But as researchers and policymakers push to curb the use of opioids, clinicians are developing new strategies for treating pain after C-sections.

3 May 2022

University of Arizona, Oklahoma State University join forces to combat opioid crisis and chronic pain

Robert C. Robbins, MD, president of the University of Arizona, and Kayse Shrum, DO, president of Oklahoma State University, today announced the two institutions’ academic medical centers have joined forces to combat the opioid crisis and chronic pain through research, treatment and education.

30 Apr 2022

High-frequency spinal cord stimulation proves to be more effective at improving perceived pain reduction

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain involves delivering low levels of electricity directly into the spinal cord using an implanted device, which modifies or blocks nerve activity to minimize the sensation of pain reaching the brain.

28 Apr 2022

Opioid-related mortality rising among younger adults, study reveals

From 2003 through 2020, as opioid-related mortality in Ontario, Canada increased five-fold, the age distribution also shifted downward – with rates now peaking for people in their mid-30s – according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Patrick Brown of University of Toronto, and colleagues.

20 Apr 2022

UK experts share their work in the field of opioid use disorder research at 2022 Rx Summit

University of Kentucky experts on the front lines of the nation's opioid and addiction crises will share their work in the field of opioid use disorder research, treatment and prevention this week at the 2022 Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Atlanta April 18-22.

19 Apr 2022

Researchers identify 16 distinct cell populations in a key brain region for substance use disorders

In a work of systematic biology that advances the field, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers have identified 16 distinct cell populations in a complex area of the midbrain called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA.

18 Apr 2022

Never-ending costs: When resolved medical bills keep popping up

Every now and then, Suzanne Rybak and her husband, Jim, receive pieces of mail addressed to their deceased son, Jameson. Typically, it's junk mail that requires little thought, Suzanne said.

7 Apr 2022

Wastewater-based Epidemiology technique can help move toward a healthier and more sustainable world

Of the many contemporary conveniences often taken for granted in developed countries, modern sanitation may be among the most important. A new study suggests that wastewater infrastructure may provide societal benefits far beyond the dramatic improvements in community hygiene.

6 Apr 2022

$11M for North Carolina work-based rehab raises concerns

An addiction treatment facility, highly regarded by North Carolina lawmakers, sits in a residential neighborhood here and operates like a village in itself.

6 Apr 2022

Study finds decline in routine opioid dispensing after common pediatric surgeries

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that opioid prescriptions for children who underwent one of eight common outpatient surgeries declined over a period of five years.

4 Apr 2022

CBD and THC may be safe for use with opioid pain relievers, animal study suggests

Findings from a new animal study suggest that cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) might be safe for use with opioid pain relievers.

4 Apr 2022

Adolescents with severe substance use disorder more likely to report prescription drug misuse in adulthood

While it’s estimated that 1 in 3 Americans will develop a substance use disorder in their lifetime, experts know little about the long-term outcomes for people with substance use disorder symptoms from adolescence through adulthood.

1 Apr 2022

Adolescents with higher drug use severity do not transition out of symptomatic substance use

People who reported multiple symptoms consistent with severe substance use disorder at age 18 exhibited two or more of these symptoms in adulthood, according to a new analysis of a nationwide survey in the United States.

1 Apr 2022

At a Tennessee crossroads, two pharmacies, a monkey, and millions of pills

It was about 1 a.m. on April 19, 2016, when a burglary alarm sounded at Dale Hollow Pharmacy in Celina, a tiny town in the rolling, wooded hills near the Kentucky border.

29 Mar 2022

Study: More than two-thirds of the patients recover from knee replacement without opioids

A retrospective case series study led by Dr. Vinod Dasa, Professor of Clinical Orthopaedics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, reports that more than two-thirds of the patients who underwent total knee replacement did not need opioids for postoperative pain.

25 Mar 2022

$Local anesthetic use for hip fracture patients on the day of admission is increasing, data suggests$

Local anesthetic use for hip fracture patients on the day of admission is increasing, data suggests

Patients with traumatic injuries who are treated in the emergency room are susceptible to opioid-related adverse drug effects. Increased use of regional anesthesia can be helpful in the effort to reduce the use of opioids. However, it's not clear how often patients receive regional anesthesia prior to going to the operating room.

23 Mar 2022

Burst wave lithotripsy may provide an effective alternative for noninvasive treatment of kidney stones

An innovative technique called burst wave lithotripsy (BWL) may provide an effective, more accessible alternative for non-invasive treatment of kidney stones, according to initial human studies reported in The Journal of Urology, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association

22 Mar 2022

Most individuals treated in emergency departments for opioid use disorder do not sustain treatment

Most people who fill prescriptions from emergency physicians to treat their opioid use disorder do not continue to receive the medication, suggesting new approaches are needed to help people continue drug treatment begun on an emergency basis, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

21 Mar 2022