Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pain Management for December 2017. 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.
Tips Offered for Patient-Provider Opioid Tapering Talks
THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Helping patients understand individualized reasons for opioid tapering and encouraging them to provide input into the process are key for patient-provider communications, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Pain.
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Variation Seen in Hospice Use for Malignant Glioma
THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — There are noticeable differences in hospice utilization among patients with malignant glioma (MG), with older age, female sex, and urban residence predicting longer length of stay, according to a study published recently in Neuro-Oncology.
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Three-Quarters Receiving ‘End of Life Option Act’ Drugs Take Them
THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) — About three-quarters of patients in California who receive End of Life Option Act (EOLOA) drugs ingest them and die, according to a research letter published online Dec. 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Gene Polymorphisms Linked to Risk of Chronic Post-Op Pain
TUESDAY, Dec. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Genetics may be a factor in the experience of chronic pain post surgery, according to a study published online Dec. 14 in Anesthesiology.
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Findings Support Comprehensive Approach for Seniors With Cancer
THURSDAY, Dec. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Addressing persistent symptoms, managing comorbidities, promoting leisure-time physical activity, and addressing financial challenges are key in optimizing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in older adults with cancer, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in Cancer.
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CDC: 2015 to 2016 Saw Drop in Life Expectancy in United States
THURSDAY, Dec. 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) — From 2015 to 2016, life expectancy decreased by one-tenth of a year, and there was an increase in the rate of age-adjusted drug overdose deaths, according to two December data briefs published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
Abstract/Full Text – Kochanek
Abstract/Full Text – Hedegaard
C7 Nerve Transfer Improves Function in Spastic Arm Paralysis
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — C7 nerve transfer is beneficial for patients with unilateral arm paralysis for more than five years, according to a study published online Dec. 20 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Rheumatic Diseases Associated With Increased Dementia Risk
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Patients with various rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of dementia, according to a study published online Dec. 15 in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases.
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Male U.S. Doctors Receive Higher Values of Industry Payments
MONDAY, Dec. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Male physicians in the United States received higher values of general payments from industry than females in 2015, according to a research letter published online Dec. 18 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Subcutaneous Galcanezumab May Help Prevent Episodic Migraines
MONDAY, Dec. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Monthly subcutaneous injections of galcanezumab are efficacious in prevention of episodic migraine headaches, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in JAMA Neurology.
Probiotics, Chewing Gum Found Ineffective for Pharyngitis
MONDAY, Dec. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Neither probiotics nor xylitol-based chewing gum cuts the severity of symptoms associated with pharyngitis, according to a study published in the Dec. 18 issue of CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
Year One Results Out for Value-Based Payment Modifier Program
MONDAY, Dec. 18, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Almost 30 percent of eligible practices failed to register and report data in the first year of the Physician Value-Based Payment Modifier program, according to a report published in the December issue of Health Affairs.
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Doctors Must Report on at Least 1 Patient, 1 Measure for MACRA
FRIDAY, Dec. 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) — In order to meet the 2017 Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) participation reporting deadline and avoid a Medicare payment penalty in 2019, physicians must report on at least one patient and one measure by Dec. 31, and submit to Medicare no later than Feb. 28, 2018, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
Making Insurers Participate in Marketplace Could Cut Volatility
THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Requiring insurers that participate in Medicare or Medicaid to also participate in Marketplaces in the same geographic area could improve access to insurance, according to a study published in the December issue of Health Affairs.
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Gabapentin Doesn’t Cut Time to Pain Cessation After Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing surgery, gabapentin does not reduce the time to pain cessation, but can increase the rate of opioid cessation, according to a study published online Dec. 13 in JAMA Surgery.
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Amount of Opioids Prescribed After Hospital Discharge Varies
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For postoperative patients there is considerable variation in the amount of opioids prescribed at hospital discharge, according to research published online Dec. 13 in JAMA Surgery.
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No Link Between Pre-Op Cholesterol, Post-Op Pain
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Preoperative levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) do not correlate with postoperative pain following laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer, according to research published online Nov. 23 in PAIN Practice.
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Allopurinol Rx More Likely With Eligibility at Diagnosis
TUESDAY, Dec. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Allopurinol prescribing is more likely if patients meet eligibility criteria at diagnosis, according to a research brief published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Pediatric Oncologists Willing to Consider Medical Marijuana
TUESDAY, Dec. 12, 2017 (HealthDay News) — The absence of standards is an important barrier to pediatric oncologists recommending medical marijuana (MM), despite their willingness to do so, according to a study published online Dec. 12 in Pediatrics.
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Deceleration in Health Care Spending Growth in 2016
MONDAY, Dec. 11, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care spending growth slowed in 2016 following faster growth in 2014 and 2015, according to research published online Dec. 6 in Health Affairs.
Diet Quality Linked to Disability, Symptom Severity in MS
THURSDAY, Dec. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), diet quality is associated with disability and symptom severity, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in Neurology.
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Evidence-Based Guidelines Cut Postoperative Opioid Use
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of evidence-based guidelines can reduce opioid prescribing after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, according to a research letter published online Dec. 6 in JAMA Surgery.
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CVS-Aetna Merger Has Implications for Doctors’ Offices
TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — CVS Health’s planned purchase of insurance giant Aetna, a $69 billion deal, was announced Sunday.
More Information – NYT
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Antithrombotics Deemed Safe in Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery
TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing wide-awake carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery, antithrombotic (AT) agents may be safely continued, according to a research letter published online Nov. 29 in JAMA Surgery.
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About One in Six Readmitted Post-Revascularization for PAD
TUESDAY, Dec. 5, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients with peripheral arterial disease who are discharged following peripheral arterial revascularization, 17.6 percent have 30-day nonelective readmission, according to a study published online Dec. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Risk of Surgical Complications Up for Overlapping Hip Surgery
MONDAY, Dec. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture or total hip arthroplasty (THA), overlapping surgery is associated with increased risk of surgical complications, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Risk of Persistent Opioid Use a Concern for Youth After Surgery
MONDAY, Dec. 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Adolescents and young adults are at risk for persistent opioid use after surgery, and this represents an important pathway to consider in the epidemic of prescription opioid misuse, according to a study published online Dec. 4 in Pediatrics.
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Poor Agreement for Practitioners in Defining Myofascial Pain
FRIDAY, Dec. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Health care practitioner groups differ regarding the signs and symptoms that define myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), according to a study published online Nov. 1 in PAIN Practice.
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FDA Approves Once-Monthly Injection for Opioid Addiction
FRIDAY, Dec. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Sublocade, a once-monthly injection of buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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