Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pain Management for January 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Tocilizumab Reduces Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis is reduced by tocilizumab treatment, regardless of the measure by which it is evaluated, according to a study published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Brain Response to Rectal Distension Different in IBS
THURSDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience greater brain activation in regions associated with emotional arousal and endogenous pain modulation when subjected to rectal distension, compared to controls, according to a meta-analysis published in the January issue of Gastroenterology.
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Community-Based Exercise Alleviates Arthritis Pain
THURSDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Community-deliverable exercise improves pain and physical function in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (AORD), according to a meta-analysis published in the January issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Electronic Health Records May Not Improve Care Quality
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support (CDS) do not appear to improve the quality of clinical care, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Biologics Effective, but Pricy, to Treat Juvenile Arthritis
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Biologics are more effective than methotrexate (MTX) in achieving a short-term response in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who have had previous suboptimal response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, according to research published in the January issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Physical Exam Helps Diagnose Source of Lumbar Pain
FRIDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) Physical examination tests can help diagnose the presence of nerve root impingement in the low lumbar and midlumbar regions as well as pinpoint level specific impingement in the low lumbar region, according to a study published in the Jan. 1 issue of Spine.
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Motivation Affects Return to Work After Knee Replacement
FRIDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty are likely to return to work faster if they are highly motivated, regardless of the physical demands of their job, according to a study published in the Jan. 5 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Alternative Therapies Offered by Many Hospice Care Providers
THURSDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately 40 percent of hospice care providers offer complementary and alternative therapies (CAT) -- including massage, supportive group therapy, and music therapy -- or have a CAT provider under contract or on staff, according to a report in the Jan. 19 issue of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health Statistics Reports.
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Multimodal Analgesia Important in Spine Surgery
FRIDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A multimodal analgesic therapy is important during preoperative visits of minimally invasive spine surgery patients, according to a review of methods published in the Dec. 15 issue of Spine.
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Viewing Flexible Cystoscopy Reduces Pain From Procedure
FRIDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Patients who view their flexible cystoscopies on a video monitor report less pain than those who do not, according to research published in the January issue of Urology.
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CDC Report Highlights Important Health Disparities
THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Among Americans, disparities in income, race and ethnicity, gender, and other social attributes have an impact on whether an individual is healthy or ill or will die prematurely, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released as a supplement to the Jan. 14 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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FDA Limits Acetaminophen in Combo Prescription Products
THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting that manufacturers of prescription combination products containing acetaminophen limit the amount of acetaminophen to a maximum of 325 mg in each tablet or capsule to reduce the risk of liver toxicity. In addition, the agency is directing manufacturers to update labels of all prescription combination products to warn consumers of the possible risk for severe liver injury.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Less Effective for Smokers
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who smoke are less likely to respond to treatment with methotrexate (MTX) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, according to a study published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Analysis Supports Cardiovascular Concern With NSAIDs
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, according to a meta-analysis published Jan. 11 in BMJ.
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FDA Warns of Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution Overdose
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Roxane Laboratories have notified health care professionals of serious adverse events and deaths associated with accidental overdose of morphine sulfate oral solutions, especially with the high potency (100 mg per 5 mL) product. In most cases, solutions ordered in milligrams (mg) were mistakenly interchanged for milliliters (mL) of the product.
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Burnout Levels Particularly High in Residents
MONDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of burnout and risk for burnout are high in physicians, particularly residents, and more than a quarter of anesthesiology chairs meet criteria for high burnout, according to two articles published in the January issue of Anesthesiology.
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Abstral Approved for Adults With Cancer Pain
MONDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Fentanyl (Abstral) tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help opioid-tolerant adults with cancer manage breakthrough pain.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Clinicians Not Adhering to Arthritis Guidelines
MONDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Clinicians are not following evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), despite the consistency among the numerous guidelines available, according to a review published in the January issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Lumbar Support Cost-Effective for LBP in Home Care Workers
FRIDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Lumbar support may provide a cost-effective addition to the usual care offered to home care workers who have recurrent low back pain (LBP), according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of Spine.
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Back Pain Tied to Psychological Well-Being in Teens
THURSDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Systematic physical activity and control of psychological profile should decrease low back pain (LBP) frequency and intensity in adolescents, according to a study published in the December issue of the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.
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Obesity Negatively Impacts Fibromyalgia Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is common in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and appears to adversely impact the severity of the condition, according to research published in the December issue of the Journal of Pain.
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Few Performance Tests Measure Low Back Pain Change
MONDAY, Jan. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Sit-to-stand and stair-climbing performance tests used to gauge effectiveness of treatment for low back pain are good instruments to use to measure changes over time and to determine the percentage of minimal clinically important change (MCIC), but several other performance tests are not responsive, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of Spine.
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