Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pain Management for May 2018. 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.
THURSDAY, May 31, 2018 -- For patients with episodic migraine, galcanezumab is better than placebo for reducing migraine headache days, according to a study published online May 29 in JAMA Neurology.
THURSDAY, May 31, 2018 -- The widespread shortages of injectable opioids and small-volume parenteral (SVP) solutions are jeopardizing patient care and placing a strain on hospital operations, according to a report published by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
THURSDAY, May 31, 2018 -- A patient-specific preconversation communication-priming intervention targeting patients and clinicians is associated with an increase in goals-of-care discussions among patients with serious illness, according to a study published online May 26 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, May 30, 2018 -- All patients with painful bone metastasis should be referred for palliative radiotherapy to relieve the pain, regardless of age, according to a study published online May 23 in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Patients served by the beleaguered Veterans Affairs health system may have wider access to private care, thanks to a bill approved Wednesday by the Senate. President Donald Trump is known to support the bill, which now awaits his signature.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- For children with X-linked hypophosphatemia, subcutaneous burosumab is associated with decreases in rickets severity and with improved renal tubular phosphate reabsorption, according to a study published in the May 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- Regional anesthesia is associated with a lower opioid consumption in both knee and hip replacement surgeries, compared to general anesthesia, according to a study published May 14 in PAIN Practice.
THURSDAY, May 24, 2018 -- There is considerable global variation in personal health care access and quality, according to a study published online May 23 in The Lancet.
WEDNESDAY, May 23, 2018 -- Recommendations for managing postpartum pain have been developed and published in a Committee Opinion online May 17 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
WEDNESDAY, May 23, 2018 -- Cryoablation is effective for controlling cancer pain without many side effects, according to a review published online May 7 in PAIN Practice.
TUESDAY, May 22, 2018 -- Overall, 9.1 percent of individuals in the United States were uninsured in 2017, which was not significantly different from the level in 2016, according to a report published online May 22 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Centers for Health Statistics.
MONDAY, May 21, 2018 -- Patterns of potential opioid misuse are positively associated with subsequent opioid overdose, according to a study published online May 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
MONDAY, May 21, 2018 -- Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent migraine headaches in adults.
FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 -- Stigmatizing language used in medical records to describe patients can influence medical students and residents in terms of their attitudes towards the patient and their clinical decision-making, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
FRIDAY, May 18, 2018 -- For active-duty military personnel, the addition of chiropractic care to usual medical care is associated with improvements in low back pain intensity and disability, according to a study published online May 18 in JAMA Network Open.
THURSDAY, May 17, 2018 -- Lucemyra (lofexidine hydrochloride) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat symptoms of opioid withdrawal.
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 -- A nonprofit manufacturer could help keep generic drug prices down and maintain their supply, according to a perspective piece published in the May 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 -- For patients with episodic migraine, fremanezumab is associated with a reduction in the mean number of monthly migraine days, according to a study published in the May 15 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 -- Best practices have been developed for using electronic health records (EHRs) to enhance patient-centered care, according to an article published online in Medical Economics.
MONDAY, May 14, 2018 -- Receipt of opioid-related payments from industry in 2014 was associated with increased opioid prescribing in 2015, according to a research letter published online May 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
MONDAY, May 13, 2018 -- An intervention targeting the use of intravenous opioids may reduce opioid exposure, according to a study published online May 14 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
THURSDAY, May 10, 2018 -- Many oncologists recommend medical marijuana (MM) clinically despite not feeling sufficiently knowledgeable about its utility, according to a study published online May 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
THURSDAY, May 10, 2018 -- For patients with acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, percutaneous vertebroplasty does not result in significantly greater pain relief than a sham procedure at 12 months, according to a study published online May 9 in The BMJ.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- For older adults with chronic pain, psychological interventions have small benefits, including reducing pain and catastrophizing beliefs, according to a review published online May 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- For children undergoing procedural sedation for a painful procedure, fasting duration is not associated with adverse events, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Pediatrics.
WEDNESDAY, May 9, 2018 -- For nursing home (NH) residents with dementia and hip fracture, surgical hip fracture repair is associated with lower mortality, according to a study published online May 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
TUESDAY, May 8, 2018 -- Regulatory requirements are likely to be an important aspect of physician dissatisfaction with electronic health records (EHRs) that is driving burnout, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online May 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
TUESDAY, May 8, 2018 -- There is insufficient evidence available for examining the correlation between prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and non-fatal or fatal overdoses, according to a review published online May 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
FRIDAY, May 4, 2018 -- Many organizations are not meeting the trial registration and results reporting requirements clarified by "The Final Rule," which had a compliance date of April 18, 2017, according to a study published online May 1 in BMC Medicine.
FRIDAY, May 4, 2018 -- Varying pain descriptors may be useful when evaluating patients with different stages of low back pain (LBP), according to a study published online April 30 in PAIN Practice.
THURSDAY, May 3, 2018 -- Many patients undergoing elective same-day or inpatient joint and spine surgery have unused opioids at one- and six-month follow-up, according to a study published online April 17 in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
WEDNESDAY, May 2, 2018 -- For hospitalized adults with serious illness, receiving a palliative care consultation (PCC) is associated with a reduction in hospital costs, according to a review published online April 30 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
TUESDAY, May 1, 2018 -- Physicians should be aware of the correct protocol for, as well as the laws involved in, firing employees, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
TUESDAY, May 1, 2018 -- Severe obesity is associated with more rapid progression of disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published online April 30 in Arthritis Care & Research.