Opioids News and Research

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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.

Pediatric surgeon establishes first-ever guidelines for safer pain management in children

According to the National Institutes of Health, opioid misuse and addiction in the United States is a national crisis, with an economic burden upwards of $78 billion.

11 Nov 2020

Surgery studies show progress, opportunity to decrease opioid prescribing

Having surgery means placing complete trust in a team of professionals, and counting on them to fix what's wrong while keeping surgical risks as low as possible.

11 Nov 2020

Medical diagnoses of “diseases of despair” increase in Pennsylvania

Medical diagnoses involving alcohol-related disorders, substance-related disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviors – commonly referred to as diseases of despair – increased in Pennsylvania health insurance claims between the years 2007 and 2018, according to researchers from Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Highmark Health Enterprise Analytics.

10 Nov 2020

Healthcare providers should ask patients about cannabis use, researchers urge

Nurses and other healthcare providers should talk to patients about their cannabis use the same way they talk about other habits like smoking and drinking: routinely and without judgment.

5 Nov 2020

Collaborative effort will enable efficient oversight to prevent illegal, harmful products from entering the U.S.

Recently, leadership from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to stop harmful products that pose a threat to public health and attempt to enter the U.S. through International Mail Facilities.

30 Oct 2020

Scientists receive $3.9 million to optimize treatment for opioid use disorder

Drawing upon their experience and expertise in telehealth, collaborative care models, substance use disorders, depression and health information technology, Indiana University School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute faculty have been awarded $3.9 million over four years to collaborate with Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute scientists on a trial to optimize treatment for opioid use disorder.

28 Oct 2020

Real-time tracking system shows rise in suspected opioid overdose deaths after COVID-19's arrival

COVID-19 may dominate the headlines. But another epidemic that was already raging before it arrived has flared up in recent months, too, according to new University of Michigan data.

27 Oct 2020

Researchers find an increasing need for palliative care across Greater China

Palliative care should extend across China and pay more attention to managing non-malignant disease - integrated within the country's healthcare system and available to everyone who needs it, according to a new study.

21 Oct 2020

Research finds one-third of students misusing prescription opioids tend to use heroin later

Nearly one-third of students who reported misusing prescription opioids as high school seniors between 1997 and 2000, but did not have a history of medical use, later used heroin by age 35, according to a University of Michigan study.

21 Oct 2020

Study points out key variations in hospice transitions and experiences

Terminally ill patients referred to hospice care from a hospital setting tend to be on hospice for shorter periods than those who enter hospice while living at home or in a residential care facility.

19 Oct 2020

Epidural analgesia during childbirth does not increase infant's risk of developing autism

The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology,the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine aim to clearly reassure pregnant women that the article "Association Between Epidural Analgesia During Labor and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring," a new retrospective database study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12th, 2020 does not provide credible scientific evidence that labor epidurals for pain relief cause autism.

13 Oct 2020

Study examines the pharmacogenomics of opioid addiction

In one of the first studies of its kind, a University of Cincinnati researcher is using a grant from the Ohio attorney general's office to research the pharmacogenomics of opioid addiction.

13 Oct 2020

Study: Cannabis seldom serves as substitute for non-medical opioids

A study published in the scientific journal Addiction suggests that, contrary to what some are claiming, people in the US may not be substituting cannabis for opioids.

8 Oct 2020

Researcher receives NIH award to explore effect of women's hormones on postpartum opioid relapse

When most people think of opioid addiction, they typically do not think of pregnant women. Unfortunately, however, the prevalence of opioid addiction during pregnancy has increased nearly 500% during the past 15 years.

8 Oct 2020

Older adults use cannabis for medical purposes, study finds

With growing interest in its potential health benefits and new legislation favoring legalization in more states, cannabis use is becoming more common among older adults.

7 Oct 2020

Two Penn Medicine researchers selected for prestigious NIH Director's Awards

Picture a future where embedded medical devices not only treat and teach patients, but learn from them. Imagine chronic pain being managed without the negative side effects of opioids. Penn Medicine researchers are working to make those scenarios a reality.

6 Oct 2020

New guidelines reduce number of opioid pills prescribed to patients after surgery

To address the opioid epidemic, surgeons have embraced guidelines to reduce the number of opioid pills they prescribe to patients after surgery, and the efforts have helped to significantly reduce the number of opioids in circulation.

5 Oct 2020

Cannabinoids can contribute to negative respiratory health events in older adults with COPD

Cannabinoids, a class of prescription pills that contain synthetically-made chemicals found in marijuana, are associated with a 64 per cent increase in death among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to the first published data on the impact of cannabinoids on the respiratory health of individuals with the lung disease.

30 Sep 2020

Health on wheels: Tricked-out RVs deliver addiction treatment to rural communities

Tonja Jimenez is far from the only person driving an RV down Colorado's rural highways. But unlike the other rigs, her 34-foot-long motor home is equipped as an addiction treatment clinic on wheels, bringing lifesaving treatment to the northeastern corner of the state, where patients with substance use disorders are often left to fend for themselves.

28 Sep 2020

New book sheds light on addiction to psychoactive drugs

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (CSHLP) announced the publication of Addiction, 2e, now available on its website in ebook and hardcover formats.

23 Sep 2020