FDA Clears Electronic Earpiece to Block Opioid Withdrawal SymptomsNovember 16, 2017 |
A wearable device claiming to block the pain of opioid withdrawal has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration under an expedited review process for medical devices. However, patient safety advocates note that the device has limited evidence for its effectiveness
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Is There A Way To Keep Using Opioid Painkillers And Reduce Risk?November 13, 2017 |
Jon McHann, 56, got started on prescription opioids the way a lot of adults in the U.S. did: he was in pain following an accident. In his case, it was a fall. “I hit my tailbone just right, and created a severe bulging disc” that required surgery, McHann says. McHann, who lives in Smithville, Tenn., expected to make a full recovery and go back to work as a heavy haul truck driver. But 10 years after his accident, he’s still at home
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For Some People, Opioids Can Actually Make Pain WorseNovember 6, 2017 |
Scientists are learning how weaning off opioids like morphine or fentanyl can be even more complicated than they thought. The narcotic painkillers are essential to dull the excrutiating pain that can follow things like surgery or cancer. When taken for more than a month, the medications risk causing more harm than good in a variety of ways. Travis Rieder knows first hand
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More Than 25m People Dying In Agony Without Morphine Every YearOctober 13, 2017 |
Concern over illicit use and addiction is putting morphine out of reach for millions of patients globally who need it for pain relief
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These New Devices Promise to Fight Pain without OpioidsJuly 31, 2017 |
Companies want to replace addictive painkillers and help people detox from opioids
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Hard Lessons: Learning From The Charlie Gard CaseJuly 25, 2017 |
On the 24th July 2017, the long-running, deeply tragic and emotionally fraught case of Charlie Gard reached its sad conclusion (Box 1). Following further medical assessment of the infant, Charlie’s parents and doctors finally reached agreement that continuing medical treatment was not in Charlie’s best interests. It is expected that life support will be withdrawn in the days ahead
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Pain in the MachineJuly 17, 2017 |
Pain leads to empathy and self-preservation: should we make robots ‘feel’ it?
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Too Many Opioids After Cesarean DeliveryJune 14, 2017 |
Researchers tracked prescriptions and pill use in 179 women discharged from an academic medical center after cesarean delivery. On average, they left the hospital with a prescription for the equivalent of 30 pills containing 5 milligrams of oxycodone or hydrocodone
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