Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0184567 (acute pain)
 3,962 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The often inadequate treatment of acute pain is more often due to improper application of available therapies than to the unavailability of effective drugs and techniques. In our institution, the establishment of an acute pain service has improved the safety and efficacy of postoperative pain control. This has been achieved not simply through the immediate availability of a group of specialist physicians and nurses, but also through staff education. The latter has addressed many of the misconceptions preventing proper and safe use of potent analgesic agents. Although provision of intravenously administered patient-controlled analgesia appears not to influence patient outcome, it can result in improved analgesia and patient satisfaction when used properly. Epidurally administered patient-controlled analgesia, on the other hand, appears to provide superior relief of activity pain and earlier resolution of postoperative ileus. The administration of local anesthetic agents, in particular, may reduce reflex diaphragmatic dysfunction following thoracoabdominal surgery and decrease the incidence of graft occlusion following lower extremity vascular procedures. Epidural catheter placement, however, is not without risk, especially in subjects with an established or potential coagulopathy.
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PMID:The acute pain service. 992 91

Alvimopan (ADL 8-2698; Adolor Corporation, Exton, PA, USA) is a novel, peripherally restricted opioid antagonist. After oral administration, it has activity specific to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ADL 8-2698 has low systemic absorption and a high affinity for mu-opioid receptors. In healthy subjects, ADL 8-2698 antagonized loperamide-induced changes in GI transit and prevented morphine-induced delays in oral-cecal transit time without antagonizing centrally mediated opioid effects, such as analgesia or pupillary constriction. In the treatment of opioid naive patients who underwent surgery and received opioids for acute pain, oral ADL 8-2698 (6.0 mg) improved the management of postoperative ileus (POI) by shortening the time to achieve normal bowel function and, ultimately, hospital stay. Postoperative nausea and vomiting and the overall incidence of all GI side effects were reduced in patients treated with ADL 8-2698 for POI. Analgesia was not compromised, because there were no changes in median opioid consumption or Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores in patients treated with ADL 8-2698 versus patients treated with placebo. No drug-related side effects were observed in acute pain postsurgical patients in the initial POI study. In patients treated with opioids for chronic pain or opioid addiction, lower doses of oral ADL 8-2698 (0.5 to 3.0 mg) reversed opioid bowel dysfunction (OBD) and normalized GI activity. These effects were evident without compromising opioid analgesia or inducing central nervous system symptoms of withdrawal. Some chronic opioid patients receiving apparently supramaximal doses of ADL 8-2698 (> or = 3.0 mg) reported localized GI side effects, possibly indicative of a localized GI withdrawal response. The most common side effects of ADL 8-2698 in chronic pain patients with OBD were abdominal pain, flatulence, and diarrhea. These effects were not observed in most OBD patients receiving lower doses of ADL 8-2698. Overall, ADL 8-2698 was well tolerated in clinical trials. Further studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ADL 8-2698 in clinical practice are in progress.
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PMID:Alvimopan* (ADL 8-2698) is a novel peripheral opioid antagonist. 1175 94

The role of the coxibs in the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis has been widely discussed, but there are other potential applications for the coxibs that have received less attention. Here we consider the use of the coxibs in acute pain syndromes such as primary dysmenorrhea and the pain associated with dental extraction, as well as considering their application in chronic low back pain and cancer pain. Another area where the coxibs may prove particularly beneficial is in the management of post-surgical pain. Traditional post-surgical analgesia has involved the use of non-selective NSAIDs and opioids, but these agents can be associated with side effects such as post-operative bleeding, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, and constipation. Because the coxibs do not inhibit COX-1 dependent platelet aggregation like traditional NSAIDs, the risk of post-surgical bleeding is reduced. The careful application of coxibs as part of a multi-modal approach to pain management in the perioperative period can reduce the requirement for opioid medications and thus reduce the risk of post-operative complications such as ileus. In the future, coxibs are likely to play an important role in multi-modal perioperative analgesic regimens with the aim of reducing post-operative periods of convalescence.
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PMID:Strategies in pain management: new and potential indications for COX-2 specific inhibitors. 1260 54

Pain is a common occurrence for the hospitalized elderly, and may often be under recognized and inadequately managed. Insufficient pain management can lead to the sequelae of emotional distress and depression, delirium, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and physical disabilities, as well as increased health care costs. Effective pain management of the older adult begins with pain assessment using the proper tools. Morphine is the analgesic of choice for the older adult, and is appropriate for the postoperative period. It is important to maintain a therapeutic serum level of opioids to prevent inadequate management of the acute pain. Side effects of opioids include hypotension, nausea, mood disturbances, ileus, histamine production, and respiratory depression. The adage for pain treatment in the elderly is "start low and go slow". Paracetamol is commonly prescribed and may be the drug of choice for mild to moderate postoperative pain. Older adults may enjoy the benefits of Patient-Controlled Analgesia and Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia in the postoperative period; however, thorough and ongoing teaching must occur to ensure understanding and compliance with the therapy. Treating post-procedure pain in the elderly patient requires an understanding of the normal changes associated with aging and the impact on medications, and multimodal analgesia can be the best approach.
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PMID:[Postoperative pain management in elderly patient]. 1759 59

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease. Pain management can be challenging in patients with IBD because there are limitations on the use of analgesics. Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is not recommended in patients with IBD because there is risk of relapse of IBD and an overall increase in disease activity. Opioids, although frequently used for treating severe acute pain, can have additional risks and complications in patients with IBD such as ileus, toxic megacolon, and narcotic bowel syndrome. Furthermore, little information is available in the literature on pain management in these patients undergoing noncolorectal surgery. This report describes 2 patients with UC in whom postoperative pain following oral and maxillofacial surgery was managed by intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with pentazocine. Apart from the development of acute dystonia in 1 case that was likely due to the use of droperidol for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting, postoperative pain was well controlled by pentazocine in both patients without any complications or UC exacerbations.
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PMID:Postoperative Pain Management in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis. 3299 37