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American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) 2014 Annual Meeting
March 6-9, 2014; Phoenix, AZ
Benzodiazepine Prescriptions Increasing in the United States
Ming-Chih Kao, MD, Stanford University, Cupertino, CA, and colleagues presented a poster that sought to shed light on benzodiazepine prescribing patterns in the United States, including whether these agents are being commonly prescribed to patients on opioids.
Pain Management Impeded by Opioid-Induced Constipation
Although the constipating effects of opioids are well described in the literature, it is unclear how opioid-induced constipation affects pain management for patients with chronic noncancer pain. To shed light on this issue, Catherine Datto, MD, MS, and researchers with AstraZeneca, presented a poster at the AAPM annual meeting that examined the effects of opioid-induced constipation in this population.
No Association Found Between Repeat Ketamine Infusions and Cognitive Dysfunction
Ketamine is generally used preoperatively as an anesthetic; however, it has also been used as a short-acting antidepressant in some elderly persons and to relieve severe neuropathic pain. As an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist, there has been some concern that repeated use of ketamine infusions can lead to cognitive dysfunction.
