The Efficacy of Buprenorphine in Preoperative and Postoperative Patients: A Literature Review.

Although research suggests that less than half of individuals who have surgical procedures report effective postoperative pain alleviation, the majority of patients endure acute postoperative discomfort. To lessen and manage postoperative pain, a variety of preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative treatments and management methods are available. For several years an opioid called buprenorphine has become an effective tool to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients across many different demographics. It has however endured barriers to its usage which can be seen when treating patients with chronic pain or postoperative pain, who also have an OUD. While buprenorphine may be underutilized within the clinical setting, the significantly low rates of chronic abuse when using the drug allow it to be an attractive treatment option for patients. This paper aims to explore a wide range of studies that examine buprenorphine as an analgesic and how it can be used for preoperative pain and postoperative pain. This paper will give an in-depth analysis of buprenorphine and its use in patients with chronic pain as well as OUD. A systematic literature review was performed by identifying studies through the database PubMed. The data from various publications were gathered with preference being given to publications within the last three years. We reviewed studies that examined the pain level of the patients after having buprenorphine. Despite long-available pharmacologic evidence and clinical research, buprenorphine has maintained a mystique as an analgesic. Its usage in the treatment of OUD was further influenced by its well-known safety benefits and relative lack of psychomimetic side effects compared to other opioids. For patients accustomed to long-term, high-dose opioids who may be experiencing hyperalgesia but have not been informed about this phenomenon by their doctors or the potential for buprenorphine to resolve it, buprenorphine's pronounced antihyperalgesic effect is a compelling pharmacologic characteristic that makes it particularly attractive as an option. When used in pre-, peri-, and postoperative circumstances, buprenorphine provides various pain-management benefits and patients can still benefit from effective pain management from mu-opioid agonists while remaining on buprenorphine. Buprenorphine can be continued at a reduced dose as needed to avoid withdrawal symptoms and to improve the analgesic efficiency of mu-opioid agonists used in combination with acute postoperative pain in light of the evidence at hand. Buprenorphine administration needs a patient-centered, multidisciplinary strategy that considers the benefits and drawbacks of the many perioperative therapy options to have the best chance of success.

The concentration of platelets in PRP does not affect pain outcomes in lateral epicondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: To investigate the analyze the relationship between concentration platelet-dose in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and improvements in pain when treating lateral epicondylitis. Methods: A systematic review was conducted into five medical databases, exploring the difference in pain outcomes based on concentration of PRP. Results: Initial querying of the databases yielded 1408 articles with 20 articles ultimately included. There was no statistical significance between effect sizes of the two treatment groups (high and low platelet concentration; p = 0.976). Conclusion: Both large and small concentrations of platelets depict significant reduction in pain, however, between subgroups there was no significance. It can thus be concluded that concentration of platelets in PRP does not impact overall pain relief.

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A Comprehensive Literature Review of Digital Health Interventions in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorder With Special Focus on Mobile Applications.

COVID-19 quarantine showed an increase in opioid-related deaths partially due to the limited capacity of clinics and treatment centers. Digital health interventions (DHIs) such as telehealth have improved access to treatment, reduced psychosocial barriers, and helped patients with substance use disorder (SUD). An in-depth literature review was conducted to gauge the efficacy and usefulness of DHIs on substance use disorder. PubMed was used with string search terms to identify studies analyzing telehealth for substance use disorders. Studies were eligible and selected if they used health interventions (HIs) and reported outcomes on the efficacy of DHIs, benefits of DHIs, and limitations of DHIs. The Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used to analyze the impact of DHIs on SUD. Lastly, Apple's App Store was used to identify the current DHI available. The analysis indicated that mobile phone apps were the most appropriate sources to use for patients with substance use disorders. The search also found 36 mobile applications available on the market for patients, containing mainly pain medication diaries and trackers. The study did not find any apps for clinical usage that met the standards necessary for adequate healthcare in the opioid crisis, largely due to a lack of clinician involvement in using applications. Developing adequate DHIs has the potential to improve outcomes in patients with SUD and aid in recovery time. The research concluded that physicians looking to develop DHIs should take into consideration the mode of delivery of DHI, the aim to produce specific health outcomes as opposed to multiple outcomes, and clinician involvement in DHI development. DHIs can become a vital tool for medical professionals, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, as the use of healthcare technology has limited in-person contact, maintained current doctor-patient relationships, and allowed for contact tracing of the disease.

Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Software Prototype to Inform Opioid Pharmacovigilance From Electronic Health Records: Development and Usability Study.

Background: The use of patient health and treatment information captured in structured and unstructured formats in computerized electronic health record (EHR) repositories could potentially augment the detection of safety signals for drug products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Natural language processing and other artificial intelligence (AI) techniques provide novel methodologies that could be leveraged to extract clinically useful information from EHR resources. Objective: Our aim is to develop a novel AI-enabled software prototype to identify adverse drug event (ADE) safety signals from free-text discharge summaries in EHRs to enhance opioid drug safety and research activities at the FDA. Methods: We developed a prototype for web-based software that leverages keyword and trigger-phrase searching with rule-based algorithms and deep learning to extract candidate ADEs for specific opioid drugs from discharge summaries in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC III) database. The prototype uses MedSpacy components to identify relevant sections of discharge summaries and a pretrained natural language processing (NLP) model, Spark NLP for Healthcare, for named entity recognition. Fifteen FDA staff members provided feedback on the prototype's features and functionalities. Results: Using the prototype, we were able to identify known, labeled, opioid-related adverse drug reactions from text in EHRs. The AI-enabled model achieved accuracy, recall, precision, and F1-scores of 0.66, 0.69, 0.64, and 0.67, respectively. FDA participants assessed the prototype as highly desirable in user satisfaction, visualizations, and in the potential to support drug safety signal detection for opioid drugs from EHR data while saving time and manual effort. Actionable design recommendations included (1) enlarging the tabs and visualizations; (2) enabling more flexibility and customizations to fit end users' individual needs; (3) providing additional instructional resources; (4) adding multiple graph export functionality; and (5) adding project summaries. Conclusions: The novel prototype uses innovative AI-based techniques to automate searching for, extracting, and analyzing clinically useful information captured in unstructured text in EHRs. It increases efficiency in harnessing real-world data for opioid drug safety and increases the usability of the data to support regulatory review while decreasing the manual research burden.

Efficacy of platelet-rich plasma for sacroiliac joint dysfunction: a qualitative systematic review with pooled analysis.

Aim: We aimed to expound upon previous research examining the effect of platelet rich plasma in the treatment of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction and pain. Materials & methods: A systematic review was employed in conjunction with a pooled analysis of the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in SIJ dysfunction and pain. Results: A total of 259 articles were retrieved following database systematic review. As a result, four clinical trials and two case studies were subjected to full text appraisal. The dates of publication ranged from 2015 to 2022. Conclusion: Although a unique modality, there is not enough evidence to support the employment of PRP injections over current steroid standard of care. Further double-blinded, randomized control trials are required to elucidate PRP role in SIJ dysfunction.

Platelet rich plasma is an injection derived from separating blood components in a centrifuge. Injection of platelet rich plasma into the sacroiliac joint has often been touted as highly beneficial for pain and disability, and superior to other modalities. Our systematic review and pooled analysis show that platelet rich plasma injections are beneficial, albeit not to the degree previously reported.

Impact of an osteopathic peer recovery coaching model on treatment outcomes in high-risk men entering residential treatment for substance use disorders.

CONTEXT: The United States has witnessed a disproportionate rise in substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring mental health disorders, paired with housing instability, especially among racially minoritized communities. Traditional in-patient residential treatment programs for SUD have proven inconsistent in their effectiveness in preventing relapse and maintaining attrition among these patient populations. There is evidence showing that peer recovery programs led by individuals who have lived experience with SUD can increase social support and foster intrinsic motivation within participants to bolster their recovery. These peer recovery programs, when coupled with a standardized training program for peer recovery coaches, may be very efficacious at improving patient health outcomes, boosting performance on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) national outcome measures (NOMs), and helping participants build an overall better quality of life. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study is to highlight the efficacy of a peer recovery program, the Minority Aids Initiative, in improving health outcomes and associated NOMs in men with SUD and/or co-occurring mental health disorder. METHODS: Participants received six months of peer recovery coaching from trained staff. Sessions were guided by the Manual for Recovery Coaching and focused on 10 different domains of recovery. Participants and coaches set long-term goals and created weekly action plans to work toward them. Standardized assessments (SAMHSA's Government Performance and Results Act [GPRA] tool, Addiction Severity Index [ASI]) were administered by recovery coaches at intake and at the 6-month time point to evaluate participant progress. Analyses of participant recovery were carried out according to SAMHSA's six NOMs and assessed the outcomes of the intervention and their significance. RESULTS: A total of 115 participants enrolled in the program over a 2-year period. Among them, 53 were eligible for 6-month follow-up interviews. In total, 321 sessions were held, with an average of three sessions per participant. Participants showed marked improvement across five of the six NOMs at the end of the 6-month course and across all ASI outcomes, with the exception of three in which participants reported an absence or few symptoms at intake. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that participants receive benefits across nearly all NOM categories when paired with recovery coaches who are well trained in medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) over a 6-month period. We see the following: a higher rate of abstinence; increased housing stability; lower health, behavioral, and social consequences; lower depression and anxiety; longer participant-recovery coach exposure time; and higher follow-up rates. We hope that our results can contribute to advancements and greater acceptance in the implementation of peer recovery coaching as well as an improvement in the lives of the communities affected by substance use.

Review of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.

CONTEXT: The American opioid epidemic has necessitated the search for safe and effective means of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) encompasses select medications that are proven effective treatments for OUD. Understanding the mechanisms of action, indications, and implementation of MAT is paramount to increasing its availability to all individuals struggling with opioid addiction. OBJECTIVES: This review is based on an educational series that aims to educate healthcare providers and ancillary healthcare members on the use of MAT for the treatment of OUD. METHODS: The database PubMed was utilized to retrieve articles discussing the implementation of MAT. Boolean operators and Medical Subject Headings (MeSHs) were applied including: MAT and primary care, MAT and telehealth, methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone, MAT and osteopathic, MAT and group therapy, and MAT and COVID-19. RESULTS: Three medications have been approved for the treatment of OUD: methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine. Identifying ways to better treat and manage OUD and to combat stigmatization are paramount to dismantling barriers that have made treatment less accessible. Studies suggest that primary care providers are well positioned to provide MAT to their patients, particularly in rural settings. However, no study has compared outcomes of different MAT models of care, and more research is required to guide future efforts in expanding the role of MAT in primary care settings. CONCLUSIONS: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to changes in the way MAT care is managed. Patients require a novel point-of-care approach to obtain care. This review will define the components of MAT, consider the impact of MAT in the primary care setting, and identify barriers to effective MAT. Increasing the availability of MAT treatment will allow for greater access to comprehensive treatment and will set the standard for accessibility of novel OUD treatment in the future.

Cost comparison of osteopathic manipulative treatment for patients with chronic low back pain.

CONTEXT: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is the second leading cause of disability in the United States, with significant physical and financial implications. Development of a multifaceted treatment plan that is cost effective and optimizes patients' ability to function on a daily basis is critical. To date, there have been no published prospective studies comparing the cost of osteopathic manipulative treatment to that of standard care for patients with cLBP. OBJECTIVES: To contrast the cost for standard of care treatment (SCT) for cLBP with standard of care plus osteopathic manipulative treatment (SCT + OMT). METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted over the course of 4 months with two groups of patients with a diagnosis of cLBP. Once consent was obtained, patients were assigned to the SCT or the SCT + OMT group based on the specialty practice of their physician. At enrollment and after 4 months of treatment, all patients in both groups completed two questionnaires: the 11 point pain intensity numerical scale (PI-NRS) and the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Cost data was collected from the electronic medical record of each patient enrolled in the study. Chi-square (χ2Yates) tests for independence using Yates' correction for continuity were performed to compare the results for each group. RESULTS: There was a total of 146 patients: 71 (48.6%) in the SCT + OMT group and 75 (51.4%) in the SCT group. The results showed no significant differences between the mean total costs for the SCT + OMT ($831.48 ± $553.59) and SCT ($997.90 ± $1,053.22) groups. However, the utilization of interventional therapies (2; 2.8%) and radiology (4; 5.6%) services were significantly less for the SCT + OMT group than the utilization of interventional (31; 41.3%) and radiology (17; 22.7%) therapies were for the SCT group (p<0.001). Additionally, the patients in the SCT + OMT group were prescribed fewer opioid medications (15; 21.1) than the SCT (37; 49.3%) patients (p.001). Patients in the SCT group were approximately 14.7 times more likely to have received interventional therapies than patients in the SCT + OMT group. Likewise, the patients in the SCT group were approximately four times more likely to have received radiological services. Paired t tests comparing the mean pre- and 4 month self reported pain severity scores on the RMDQ for 68 SCT + OMT patients (9.91 ± 5.88 vs. 6.40 ± 5.24) and 66 SCT patients (11.44 ± 6.10 vs. 8.52 ± 6.14) found highly significant decreases in pain for both group (<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The mean total costs for the SCT and SCT + OMT patients were statistically comparable across 4 months of treatment. SCT + OMT was comparable to SCT alone in reducing pain and improving function in patients with chronic low back pain; however, there was less utilization of opioid analgesics, physical therapy, interventional therapies, radiologic, and diagnostic services for patients in the SCT + OMT group.

Review of Opioid Prescribing in the Osteopathic and Ambulatory Setting.

The opioid epidemic in the United States is one of the largest modern health crises in the nation's history. The crisis has been cultivated in academic journals, driven by the medical-pharmaceutical complex, and fueled by campaigns representing the most prestigious health care organizations and advocacy groups. Comprehensive guidelines for proper prescribing have been released in addition to state-sponsored prescription drug-monitoring programs (PDMPs) in response to overprescribing habits. When considering opioid treatment for a patient, physicians should document a thorough history of pain, give an appropriate physical examination, and complete a risk assessment using the proper diagnostic tools. Considering the osteopathic philosophy and approach to chronic pain, physicians should account for an integrative treatment approach for improved patient outcomes when considering applying the osteopathic philosophy to chronic pain management. A successful treatment plan can integrate cognitive behavioral therapy and promote self-healing by treating somatic dysfunctions with osteopathic manipulative treatment. This literature review discusses how to treat patients with chronic pain and how to properly use and prescribe opioids. The researchers analyzed the history and current status of the opioid epidemic, examined opioid management in the outpatient setting, reviewed the current domestic and international opioid prescribing guidelines, and discussed the incorporation of the osteopathic philosophy to manage chronic pain.