Efficacy and safety of antidepressants for pain in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: In many countries, pain is the most common indication for use of antidepressants in older adults. We reviewed the evidence from randomized controlled trials on the efficacy and safety of antidepressants, compared to all alternatives for pain in older adults (aged ≥65 years).

Methods: Trials published from inception to 1 February 2024, were retrieved from 13 databases.

Meta-analysis and systematic review of gout prevalence in the heart/lung transplantation population.

Introduction: Gout may complicate solid organ transplantation with potentially serious consequences. An accurate prevalence of gout in this population is unknown.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of gout in the heart and/or lung transplantation population through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Secular trends in gabapentinoid dispensing by compensated workers with low back pain: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The increase in gabapentinoid prescribing is paralleling the increase in serious harms. To describe the low back pain workers compensation population whose management included a gabapentinoid between 2010 and 2017, and determine secular trends in, and factors associated with gabapentinoid use.

Methods: We analysed claim-level and service-level data from the Victorian workers' compensation programme between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2017 for workers with an accepted claim for a low back pain injury and who had programme-funded gabapentinoid dispensing.

Moderators of treatment effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with (sub) acute low back pain: Protocol for a systematic review with individual participant data meta-analysis.

A Cochrane review found that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are slightly more effective than placebo on acute and subacute low back pain (LBP) outcomes (pain intensity, disability, and global improvement). Our objectives are: (1) to assess the overall treatment effect of NSAIDs in adults with acute and subacute LBP; (2) to identify the moderation of baseline patients' characteristics on treatment effect. We will conduct a systematic search of RCTs on effectiveness of NSAIDs compared with placebo in adults with non-chronic LBP in Medline ALL, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials*.

Opioids for Acute Musculoskeletal Pain: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of opioids for people with acute musculoskeletal pain against placebo.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised, placebo-controlled trials of opioid analgesics for acute musculoskeletal pain in any setting. The primary outcomes were pain and disability at the immediate timepoint (< 24 h).

Opioid analgesics for nociceptive cancer pain: A comprehensive review.

Pain is one of the most burdensome symptoms in people with cancer, and opioid analgesics are considered the mainstay of cancer pain management. For this review, the authors evaluated the efficacy and toxicities of opioid analgesics compared with placebo, other opioids, nonopioid analgesics, and nonpharmacologic treatments for background cancer pain (continuous and relatively constant pain present at rest), and breakthrough cancer pain (transient exacerbation of pain despite stable and adequately controlled background pain). They found a paucity of placebo-controlled trials for background cancer pain, although tapentadol or codeine may be more efficacious than placebo (moderate-certainty to low-certainty evidence).

Clinical Observation, Management and Function Of low back pain Relief Therapies (COMFORT): A cluster randomised controlled trial protocol.

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is commonly treated with opioid analgesics despite evidence that these medicines provide minimal or no benefit for LBP and have an established profile of harms. International guidelines discourage or urge caution with the use of opioids for back pain; however, doctors and patients lack practical strategies to help them implement the guidelines. This trial will evaluate a multifaceted intervention to support general practitioners (GPs) and their patients with LBP implement the recommendations in the latest opioid prescribing guidelines.

General practitioners' decision-making process to prescribe pain medicines for low back pain: a qualitative study.

Background: Pain medicines are widely prescribed by general practitioners (GPs) when managing people with low back pain (LBP), but little is known about what drives decisions to prescribe these medicines.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate what influences GPs' decision to prescribe pain medicines for LBP.

Design: Qualitative study with in-depth interviews.

Understanding general practitioners' prescribing choices to patients with chronic low back pain: a discrete choice experiment.

Background: Although NSAIDs are recommended as a first line analgesic treatment, opioids are very commonly prescribed to patients with low back pain (LBP) despite risks of harms.

Aim: This study aimed to determine factors contributing to general practitioners' (GPs') prescribing choices to patients with chronic LBP in a primary care setting.

Method: This discrete choice experiment (DCE) presented 210 GPs with hypothetical scenarios of a patient with chronic LBP.

Continued Opioid Use and Adverse Events Following Provision of Opioids for Musculoskeletal Pain in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The prevalence of continued opioid use or serious adverse events (SAEs) following opioid therapy in the emergency department (ED) for musculoskeletal pain is unclear. The aim of this review was to examine the prevalence of continued opioid use and serious adverse events (SAEs) following the provision of opioids for musculoskeletal pain in the emergency department (ED) or at discharge.

Methods: Records were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL from inception to 7 October 2022.

Deprescribing interventions for gabapentinoids in adults: A scoping review.

The emerging issue of rising gabapentinoid misuse is being recognized alongside the lack of current evidence supporting the safe and effective deprescribing of gabapentinoids. This scoping review aimed to assess the extent and nature of gabapentinoid deprescribing interventions in adults, either in reducing dosages, or prescribing of, gabapentinoids. Electronic databases were searched on 23 February 2022 without restrictions.

A Second Look at the Risks of Serious Adverse Events with Orthopaedic Manual Therapy, Paracetamol, and NSAID Treatment of Neck Pain.

Letter to the Editor-in-Chief in response to article "International Framework for Examination of the Cervical Region for Potential of Vascular Pathologies of the Neck Prior to Musculoskeletal Intervention: International IFOMPT Cervical Framework" by Rushton A, Carlesso LC, Flynn T, et al. .

Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for sciatica: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of surgery compared with non-surgical treatment for sciatica.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.

A qualitative assessment of a text message intervention for people with low back pain.

Background: Text messages represent a simple and scalable strategy to provide self-management to people with low back pain (LBP), yet their usefulness is unknown.

Objective: To assess the usefulness, delivery format, behaviour-change ability and potential for the TEXT4myBACK intervention to be scaled-up.

Design: Qualitative study nested within a randomised controlled trial.

Disseminated Mycobacterium chelonae infection complicating rheumatoid arthritis: A case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may predispose patients to opportunistic infections-either from innate immune dysregulation, or as a result of immunosuppressant use to treat the RA. Particularly concerning opportunistic infections are those caused by non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) organisms, the incidence of which has been increasing in epidemiological studies. Despite this, guidelines on the management of patients with RA who develop NTM infections are scarce, particularly with respect to immunosuppressant regimen modulation and duration of antibiotic therapy.

Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of antidepressants for pain in adults: overview of systematic reviews.

Objective: To provide a comprehensive overview of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of antidepressants for pain according to condition.

Design: Overview of systematic reviews.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to 20 June 2022.

Content and sentiment analysis of gabapentinoid-related tweets: An infodemiology study.

Introduction: The increasing number of gabapentinoid (pregabalin and gabapentin) harms, including deaths observed across countries is concerning to health-care professionals and policy makers. However, it is unclear if the public shares these concerns. This study aimed to describe posts related to gabapentinoids, conduct a content analysis to identify common themes and describe adverse events or symptoms.