Rationale and design of a large trial of perioperative ketamine for prevention of chronic post-surgical pain.

Background: Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is recognised as one of the most common and debilitating complications of major surgery. Progression from acute to chronic pain after surgery involves sensitisation of central nervous system pathways with the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor having a central role. Ketamine is a potent, non-selective NMDA antagonist commonly used for management of acute postoperative pain.

Serum lidocaine (lignocaine) concentrations during prolonged perioperative infusion in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery: A secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Perioperative lidocaine (lignocaine) infusions are being employed with increasing frequency. The determinants of systemic lidocaine concentrations during prolonged administration are unclear. In the Long-term Outcomes after Lidocaine Infusions for PostOperative Pain (LOLIPOP) pilot trial, the impact of infusion duration and body size metrics on serum lidocaine concentrations was examined with regression models in 48 women undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Health-related quality of life in patients accessing medicinal cannabis in Australia: The QUEST initiative results of a 3-month follow-up observational study.

Aims: Patients with chronic health conditions not responding to conventional treatment can access medicinal cannabis (MC) prescriptions from clinicians in Australia. We aimed to assess overall health-related quality of life (HRQL), pain, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, and depression in a large real-world sample of patients accessing prescribed medicinal cannabis. We hypothesized that all patient-reported outcomes (PROs) would improve from baseline to 3-months.

Use of ketamine wafer for pain management by volunteer emergency medical technicians in rural Western Australia.

Objective: To describe the use of sublingual ketamine wafers administered by volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) for pain management to patients in rural Western Australia (WA).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients older than 12 years who were attended by volunteer EMTs in Esperance, Lancelin and Kalbarri, WA and received analgesic medications from 2018 to 2021. Patients who received ketamine wafers with/without other analgesics were compared to (i) patients who received only oral paracetamol and (ii) patients who received inhalational methoxyflurane without ketamine wafers with/without paracetamol.

Evaluating Adherence of Evidence-Based Post-Operative Discharge Opioid Prescribing Guidelines and Patient Outcomes Two Weeks Post-Discharge.

Introduction: There is a growing public health concern regarding inappropriate prescribing practices of discharge analgesia. A tertiary Australian hospital first developed its after an initial audit in 2015. Adherence to the guidelines were evaluated in 2016 and 2017 which show reduced compliance from 93.

A Quality-of-Life Evaluation Study Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Receiving Medicinal Cannabis (the QUEST Initiative): Protocol for a Longitudinal Observational Study.

Background: Evidence supports several countries introducing legislation to allow cannabis-based medicine as an adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic relief of chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea, spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS), epileptic seizures, depression, and anxiety. However, clinical trial participants do not represent the entire spectrum of disease and health status seen in patients currently accessing medicinal cannabis in practice.

Objective: This study aims to collect real-world data to evaluate health-related quality of life in patients prescribed medicinal cannabis oil and describe any differences over time, from before starting therapy to after 3 and 12 months of therapy.

Successful rotation from long-acting full agonist opioids to sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone using a microdosing approach.

Buprenorphine/naloxone (BPN/NX) is a first-line treatment for opioid use disorder. Conventional treatment guidelines recommend a period of opioid abstinence and the presence of moderate withdrawal before initiation to avoid precipitated withdrawal. A newer approach of "microdosing" removes this requirement and has potential benefits.

Efficacy and Tolerability of Oral Compared with Sublingual Ketamine Lozenges as Rescue Analgesics in Adults for Acute Pain: The OSKet Trial.

Background And Objective: Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA) antagonist used widely as an intravenous analgesic for treatment of acute pain. Its use as oral and sublingual analgesics is not well studied. This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy and tolerability of oral (PO) versus sublingual (SL) ketamine lozenges in adult patients with moderate-to-severe breakthrough pain.

Pregabalin vs placebo to prevent chronic pain after whiplash injury in at-risk individuals: results of a feasibility study for a large randomised controlled trial.

There are few effective treatments for acute whiplash-associated disorders (WADs). Early features of central sensitisation predict poor recovery. The effect of pregabalin on central sensitisation might prevent chronic pain after acute whiplash injury.

Do NSAIDs Really Interfere with Healing after Surgery?

Perioperative analgesia should be multimodal to improve pain relief, reduce opioid use and thereby adverse effects impairing recovery. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are an important non-opioid component of this approach. However, besides potential other adverse effects, there has been a longstanding discussion on the potentially harmful effects of NSAIDs on healing after surgery and trauma.

Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome: A Proposal for Failed Back Surgery Syndrome and ICD-11.

Objective: For many medical professionals dealing with patients with persistent pain following spine surgery, the term Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) as a diagnostic label is inadequate, misleading, and potentially troublesome. It misrepresents causation. Alternative terms have been suggested, but none has replaced FBSS.

Classification algorithm for the International Classification of Diseases-11 chronic pain classification: development and results from a preliminary pilot evaluation.

The International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11) chronic pain classification includes about 100 chronic pain diagnoses on different diagnostic levels. Each of these diagnoses requires specific operationalized diagnostic criteria to be present. The classification comprises more than 200 diagnostic criteria.

Pregabalin for neuropathic pain in primary care settings: recommendations for dosing and titration.

Pregabalin is one of the first-line treatments approved for the management of neuropathic pain (NeP). While many patients benefit from treatment with pregabalin, they are often treated with suboptimal doses, possibly due to unfamiliarity around prescribing the drug and/or side effects that can occur with up-titration. This narrative review discusses key aspects of initiating, titrating, and managing patients prescribed pregabalin therapy, and addresses concerns around driving and the potential for abuse, as well as when to seek specialist opinion.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to Develop an Efficacy-Safety Profile of Parenteral Analgesics Used in the Treatment of Postoperative Pain.

Background: Identifying the optimal treatment in an acute postoperative setting remains a challenge. Multiple analgesic options are available, but comparing outcomes is limited by a lack of head-to-head trials. In addition, decisions based on efficacy only do not take drug safety into account.

Central mechanisms of pain in orofacial pain patients: Implications for management.

Central sensitization (CS) is a form of neuroplasticity characterized by changes in the neural sensitivity, responsiveness, and/or output that are not contingent on peripheral input nor activity-dependent. CS is characterized by activation of unmyelinated C-fibers resulting in a cascade of events at molecular and cellular levels which eventuate into generation of synaptic currents at rest. CS, therefore, contributes to heightened generalized pain sensitivity, further complicates the process of reaching a diagnosis, and increases the possibility of treatment failure.

Potential for Harm Associated with Discharge Opioids After Hospital Stay: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Mounting evidence highlights the adverse effects of opioids. In spite of this, clinicians often prescribe excessive number of discharge opioids. The aim of this systematic review is to analyse the potential of harm from discharge opioids after inpatient care including excessive prescribing of discharge opioids, improper handling of unused opioids, and unintentional chronic opioid use.

The Influence of a Positive Empathetic Interaction on Conditioned Pain Modulation and Manipulation-induced Analgesia in People With Lateral Epicondylalgia.

Objective: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and manipulation-induced analgesia (MIA) are 2 forms of endogenous analgesia. Many forms of analgesia can be influenced by the nature of the patient-clinician interaction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of an empathetic and supportive interaction on CPM and MIA in people with lateral epicondylalgia (LE).

The relationship between the reporting of euphoria events and early treatment responses to pregabalin: an exploratory post-hoc analysis.

Background: Euphoria is a complex, multifactorial problem that is reported as an adverse event in clinical trials of analgesics including pregabalin. The relationship between the reporting of euphoria events and pregabalin early treatment responses was examined in this exploratory post-hoc analysis.

Methods: Data were from patients with neuropathic or non-neuropathic chronic pain enrolled in 40 randomized clinical trials, who received pregabalin (75-600 mg/day) or placebo.

The effect of guideline implementation on discharge analgesia prescribing (two years on).

The provision of appropriate discharge analgesia can be challenging and is often prescribed by some of the most junior members of the medical team. Opioid abuse has been considered a growing public health crisis and physician overprescribing is a major contributor. In 2015 an initial audit of discharge analgesia at the Royal Perth Hospital led to the development of discharge analgesia guidelines.

The Association Between Conditioned Pain Modulation and Manipulation-induced Analgesia in People With Lateral Epicondylalgia.

Objectives: Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) and manipulation-induced analgesia (MIA) may activate similar neurophysiological mechanisms to mediate their analgesic effects. This study assessed the association between CPM and MIA responses in people with lateral epicondylalgia.

Materials And Methods: Seventy participants with lateral epicondylalgia were assessed for CPM followed by MIA.

The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic neuropathic pain.

The upcoming 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO) offers a unique opportunity to improve the representation of painful disorders. For this purpose, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has convened an interdisciplinary task force of pain specialists. Here, we present the case for a reclassification of nervous system lesions or diseases associated with persistent or recurrent pain for ≥3 months.

The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic postsurgical or posttraumatic pain.

Chronic pain after tissue trauma is frequent and may have a lasting impact on the functioning and quality of life of the affected person. Despite this, chronic postsurgical and posttraumatic pain is underrecognised and, consequently, undertreated. It is not represented in the current International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).

Chronic pain as a symptom or a disease: the IASP Classification of Chronic Pain for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

Chronic pain is a major source of suffering. It interferes with daily functioning and often is accompanied by distress. Yet, in the International Classification of Diseases, chronic pain diagnoses are not represented systematically.