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Bedside postpyloric feeding tube placement: A pilot study to validate this novel technique.

Crit Care Med. 2009 Dec 26;

Authors: Gatt M, Macfie J

OBJECTIVE:: Postpyloric feeding may facilitate tolerance to enteral nutrition (EN) and offers an alternative route of feed administration when prepyloric EN fails. However, this is constrained by the difficulty of establishing nasojejunal (NJ) tube placement, which may necessitate endoscopy or radiology with the inevitable delay in the instigation of treatment. A bedside technique of NJ tube insertion has, therefore, been developed to permit blind postpyloric intubation. The primary aim of this study was to validate the success of bedside NJ tube placement using the described technique. Secondary end points included the time taken to establish EN and the value of aspirate pH as an indicator of tube tip placement. DESIGN:: Observational study. SETTING:: District general hospital. PATIENTS:: Consecutive patients requiring EN. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: The time taken to insert the tubes, the success rates in achieving the required position, and the time between the decision to feed and commencement of EN were recorded. The pH of any aspirate obtained was related to tube tip placement. Tube position was confirmed radiologically before starting EN. A total of 43 NJ tubes were inserted in 32 patients. Successful intubation of the jejunum was achieved in 35 of 43 patients (81%). The median time for tube insertion was 18 (14-30) minutes. Time from the decision to feed to commencement of EN was 6 (5-18) hours; p = 0.896). Aspirates were obtained from 26 of 43 (60%) intubations. Gastric aspirate pH readings were obtained for 19 of 43 (44%) of these intubations. Radiology reliably demonstrated the position of the tube tip in all cases. CONCLUSIONS:: By-the-bedside NJ tube placement is possible in more than 80% of patients. This may overcome delays in the commencement of feeds resulting from other methods of postpyloric tube placement. The use of aspirate pH on its own is not a reliable indicator of tube tip position.

PMID: 19114893 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Admission of incompetent patients to intensive care: Doctors’ responsiveness to family wishes.

Crit Care Med. 2009 Dec 26;

Authors: Escher M, Perneger TV, Heidegger CP, Chevrolet JC

OBJECTIVE:: When a patient is incompetent, the family is often considered to be a natural surrogate. The doctors’ responsiveness to family wishes may vary. We explored if doctors’ personal characteristics were associated with responsiveness to the relatives’ wishes when admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) is considered. METHODS:: In a mail survey, we asked all Swiss ICU doctors to decide on the admission of a hypothetical incompetent patient presenting with hemolytic uremic syndrome. Each participant was randomly allocated to a version of the scenario in which the family asked either that “everything be done” or that the patient be “spared useless suffering.” MAIN RESULTS:: Overall, 232 (60.9%) questionnaires were returned. When the family asked that “everything be done,” 60% of doctors chose to admit the hypothetical patient, but when the family asked that she be spared useless suffering, only 39% did so (odds ratio [OR] 2.6, confidence interval 1.5-4.6). This OR captures responsiveness to family wishes. It varied across subgroups of ICU doctors. Characteristics associated with greater responsiveness to family wishes were older age (OR 6.0 vs. 1.2, p = 0.002), nonuniversity work setting (OR 4.2 vs. 1.0, p = 0.012), less time devoted to intensive care practice (OR 4.0 vs. 1.5, p = 0.036), and greater self-confidence in ethical knowledge (OR 3.4 vs. 1.7, p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS:: Older doctors and those working in regional hospitals were more responsive to family wishes when assessing an incompetent patient for ICU admission. These findings emphasize the need for effective advance care planning.

PMID: 19114900 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Furosemide does not improve renal recovery after hemofiltration for acute renal failure in critically ill patients: A double blind randomized controlled trial.

Crit Care Med. 2009 Dec 26;

Authors: van der Voort PH, Boerma EC, Koopmans M, Zandberg M, de Ruiter J, Gerritsen RT, Egbers PH, Kingma WP, Kuiper MA

OBJECTIVE:: To study the potential beneficial role of furosemide in resolving renal failure after hemofiltration in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. DESIGN:: Single-center randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING:: A 13-bed mixed intensive care unit (ICU) in a teaching hospital. PATIENTS:: Patients who had been treated with continuous venovenous hemofiltration were included. INTERVENTIONS:: After the end of continuous venovenous hemofiltration, the urine of the first 4 hours was collected for measuring creatinine clearance. Patients were subsequently randomized for furosemide (0.5 mg/kg/hr) or placebo by continuous infusion. To prevent hypovolemia, the rate of fluid infusion was adapted every hour and was set as the urinary production of the previous hour. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: End points were renal recovery (creatinine clearance more than 30 mL/min or stable serum creatinine without renal replacement therapy) in the ICU and in the hospital. Seventy-two patients were included and 71 were eligible for the analysis. The 36 furosemide-treated patients had a significantly increased urinary volume compared with the 35 placebo-treated patients (median 247 mL/hr (interquartile range [IQR] 774 mL/hr) vs. 117 mL/hr (IQR 158 mL/hr), p = 0.003) and greater sodium excretion (median 73 mmol/L (IQR 48) vs. 37 (IQR 48) mmol/L, p = 0.001). In the furosemide group 25 patients and in the placebo group 27 patients showed recovery of renal function at ICU discharge (p = 0.46). Two patients of the furosemide group needed long-term dialysis dependency (p = 0.23). CONCLUSION:: Furosemide by continuous infusion in the recovery phase of hemofiltration-dependent acute kidney failure did increase urinary volume and sodium excretion but did not lead to a shorter duration of renal failure or more frequent renal recovery.

PMID: 19114909 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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PIRO score for community-acquired pneumonia: A new prediction rule for assessment of severity in intensive care unit patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

Crit Care Med. 2009 Dec 26;

Authors: Rello J, Rodriguez A, Lisboa T, Gallego M, Lujan M, Wunderink R

OBJECTIVE:: To develop a severity assessment tool to predict mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients in intensive care unit (ICU), comparing its performance with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and ATS/IDSA criteria as a prognostic index in CAP patients requiring ICU admission. DESIGN:: Secondary analysis of prospective observational cohort study. SETTING:: Thirty-three ICUs. PATIENTS:: Five hundred and twenty-nine adult patients with CAP requiring ICU admission. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:: A severity assessment score was developed based on the PIRO concept including the presence of the following variables: Comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunocompromise); age >70 years; multilobar opacities in chest x-ray; shock, severe hypoxemia; acute renal failure; bacteremia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. PIRO score was obtained at ICU within 24 hours from admission, and one point was given for each present feature (range, 0-8 points). The mean PIRO score was significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors (4.6 +/- 1.2 vs. 2.3 +/- 1.4). Considering the observed mortality for each PIRO score, the patients were stratified in four levels of risk: a) Low, 0-2 points; b) Mild, 3 points; c) high, 4 points; and d) Very high, 5-8 points. Mild-risk (hazard ratio [HR] 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1-2.9; p < 0.05), high-risk (HR 3.1; 95% CI = 2.0-4.7; p < 0.001), and very high risk levels (HR 6.3; 95% CI = 4.2-9.4; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with higher risk of death in Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Furthermore, analysis of variance showed that higher levels of PIRO score were significantly associated with higher mortality (p < 0.001), prolonged length of stay in the ICU (p < 0.001), and days of mechanical ventilation (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that PIRO score (AUC = 0.88) performed better than APACHE II (AUC = 0.75, p < 0.001) and ATS/IDSA criteria (AUC = 0.80, p < 0.001) to predict 28-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS:: The PIRO score performed well as 28-day mortality prediction tool in CAP patients requiring ICU admission with a better performance than APACHE II and ATS/IDSA criteria in this subset of patients. Furthermore, PIRO score also is associated with increased healthcare resource utilization in CAP patients admitted in the ICU.

PMID: 19114916 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Pain in chronic pancreatitis: the role of neuropathic pain mechanisms.

Gut. 2008 Nov;57(11):1616-27

Authors: Drewes AM, Krarup AL, Detlefsen S, Malmstrøm ML, Dimcevski G, Funch-Jensen P

Pain mechanisms in patients with chronic pancreatitis are incompletely understood and probably multifactorial. Recently, evidence from experimental human pain research has indicated that in many of these patients pain processing in the central nervous system is abnormal and mimics that seen in neuropathic pain disorders. The current review focuses on several lines of evidence supporting this hypothesis. Hence, the spontaneous and postprandial pain in chronic pancreatitis may reflect the characteristic pain features seen in patients with neuropathic pain. Biochemical and histopathological findings in tissues from patients with chronic pancreatitis are similar to those observed in patients with other nerve fibre lesions. Experimental studies have shown that patients with chronic pancreatitis show signs of spinal hyper-excitability counter-balanced by segmental and descending inhibition. Changes in the brain with cortical reorganisation to gut stimulation and increased activity in specific electroencephalographic features characteristic for neuropathic pain are also seen in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Finally, principles involved in the treatment of pancreatic pain have many similarities with those recommended in neuropathic pain disorders. In conclusion, a mechanism-based understanding of pain in chronic pancreatitis may have important implications for the treatment.

PMID: 18566105 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing.

Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2008 Nov;19(4):787-801, viii-ix

Authors: Leder SB, Murray JT

Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing is a technique that allows for the assessment of pharyngeal dysphagia and the implementation of rehabilitation interventions with the goal of promoting safe and efficient swallowing. An overview of the equipment needed for the laryngoscopic evaluation, how to conduct the examination, what can be visualized endoscopically, diagnostic parameters, the implementation of therapeutic strategies, and suggestions for future research are discussed herein.

PMID: 18940641 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Workup of the cardiac arrest survivor: for the symposium on sudden cardiac death for progress in cardiovascular diseases.

Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2008 Nov-Dec;51(3):195-203

Authors: Subbiah R, Gula LJ, Klein GJ, Skanes AC, White J, Yee R, Krahn AD

Sudden cardiac death is a significant cause of mortality. Survivors of sudden cardiac death pose a significant diagnostic and management challenge for the clinician. Investigation strategies are directed at elucidating a cause or mechanism of sudden cardiac death and ultimately preventing recurrence. Detailed herein is a comprehensive approach to the assessment of a sudden cardiac death survivor.

PMID: 19026854 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: a gadolinium-associated fibrosing disorder in patients with renal dysfunction.

Ann Rheum Dis. 2008 Dec;67 Suppl 3:iii66-9

Authors: Kay J

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a debilitating fibrosing disorder that develops in patients with underlying kidney disease following exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast agents. NSF presents with cutaneous hyperpigmentation and induration and joint contractures, but fibrosis may also develop in other organs. NSF has been observed in up to 18% of patients receiving chronic haemodialysis and also may occur in individuals with stages 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease and, occasionally, in individuals who had experienced acute renal failure. Mortality is increased significantly among individuals with NSF. Although no medical treatment has been proved to be universally effective in patients with NSF, imatinib mesylate shows potential as a therapeutic agent and is currently being studied in these patients.

PMID: 19022818 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Role of host and bacterial virulence factors in Escherichia coli spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Sep;20(9):924-9

Authors: Cereto F, Herranz X, Moreno E, Andreu A, Vergara M, Fontanals D, Roget M, Simó M, González A, Prats G, Genescà J

OBJECTIVES: Host factors and bacterial virulence determinants may play a role in Escherichia coli (E. coli) spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. We evaluated the importance of these factors in the emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistant strains and outcome in cirrhotic patients with E. coli spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. METHODS: E. coli spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was detected in a 2-year period in three tertiary hospitals. Clinical and bacteriological data were obtained. Phylogenetic group and 15 virulence genes of E. coli strains were analyzed by polymerase gene reaction and compared with 50 isolates from pyelonephritis patients. RESULTS: Forty-seven E. coli spontaneous bacterial peritonitis patients were identified, 18 (38%) were fluoroquinolone-resistant, a 12% increase compared with our earlier series from 1997 to 2002. Fluoroquinolone resistance was associated with norfloxacin prophylaxis, increased resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and cefotaxime, and less bacterial virulence, as demonstrated by a higher prevalence of ‘nonpathogenic’ phylogenetic groups A+B1 (56 vs. 28%; P=0.04) and lower virulence scores in fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli compared with fluoroquinolone-susceptible E. coli. E. coli strains from cirrhotic patients belonged more frequently to ‘nonpathogenic’ phylogenetic groups A+B1, had fewer virulence factors and higher rates of fluoroquinolone resistance than isolates from pyelonephytis patients. Immunosuppression was independently associated with in-hospital and 3-month mortality. Bacterial virulence factors were unrelated to mortality. CONCLUSION: Fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli spontaneous bacterial peritonitis prevalence is increasing because of norfloxacin prophylaxis. Strains from peritonitis are less virulent than strains from pyelonephritis because of a higher prevalence of A+B1 phylogeny and quinolone resistance. Mortality is related to immunosuppression, but not to bacterial virulence factors.

PMID: 18794608 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Needle track seeding following biopsy of liver lesions in the diagnosis of hepatocellular cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Gut. 2008 Nov;57(11):1592-6

Authors: Silva MA, Hegab B, Hyde C, Guo B, Buckels JA, Mirza DF

BACKGROUND: Needle biopsy of a suspicious liver lesion could guide management in the setting of equivocal imaging and serology, although it is not recommended generally because there is the possibility of tumour dissemination outside the liver. The incidence of needle track seeding following biopsy of a suspicious liver lesion is ill-defined, however. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies published before March 2007 was performed. Studies that reported on needle tract seeding following biopsy of suspicious liver lesions were identified. Lesions suspected of being hepatocelleular cancer (HCC) were considered. Data on the type of needle biopsy, diagnosis, incidence of needle track seeding duration to seeding, follow-up and impact on outcome were tabulated. RESULTS: Eight studies identified by systematic review on biopsy of HCC were included in a meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of a patient with seeding per 100 patients with HCC was 0.027 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.018 to 0.040). There was no difference whether a fixed or random effects model was used. Q was 4.802 with 7 degrees of freedom, p = 0.684; thus the observed heterogeneity was compatible with variation by chance alone. The pooled estimate of a patient with seeding per 100 patients per year was 0.009 (95% CI 0.006 to 0.013), p = 0.686. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we have shown that the incidence of needle tract tumour seeding following biopsy of a HCC is 2.7% overall, or 0.9% per year.

PMID: 18669577 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Topical versus systemic antimicrobial therapy for treating mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers: a randomized, controlled, double-blinded, multicenter trial of pexiganan cream.

Clin Infect Dis. 2008 Dec 15;47(12):1537-45

Authors: Lipsky BA, Holroyd KJ, Zasloff M

BACKGROUND: Topical antimicrobial therapy of infected diabetic foot ulcers can focus on the wound and avoid the adverse effects of systemic anti-infective agents. We compared the efficacy of outpatient treatment using an investigational topical antimicrobial peptide, pexiganan acetate cream, with the efficacy of systemic therapy using an oral fluoroquinolone antibiotic, ofloxacin, for mildly infected diabetic foot ulcers. METHODS: In 2 consecutive, double-blind, controlled trials (study 303 and study 304), we randomized diabetic patients with a mildly infected diabetic foot ulcer to receive the active topical agent or active oral antibiotic, plus a respective inactive placebo. The primary outcome of interest was clinical cure or improvement of the infection. Secondary outcomes included eradication of wound pathogens and wound healing, which was documented by a semiquantitative scoring system. RESULTS: Overall, 835 patients were randomized; those in each treatment arm were similar with regard to demographic and clinical characteristics. Although study 303 failed to demonstrate equivalence, study 304 and the combined data for the 2 trials demonstrated equivalent results (within the 95% confidence interval) for topical pexiganan and oral ofloxacin in clinical improvement rates (85%-90%), overall microbiological eradication rates (42%-47%), and wound healing rates. The incidence of worsening cellulitis (2%-4%) and amputation (2%-3%) did not differ significantly between treatment arms. Bacterial resistance to ofloxacin emerged in some patients who received ofloxacin, but no significant resistance to pexiganan emerged among patients who received pexiganan. CONCLUSIONS: Topical pexiganan might be an effective alternative to oral antibiotic therapy in treating diabetic patients with a mildly infected foot ulcer, and might reduce the risk of selecting antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

PMID: 18990064 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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MR imaging findings in hepatic encephalopathy.

AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2008 Oct;29(9):1612-21

Authors: Rovira A, Alonso J, Córdoba J

The term hepatic encephalopathy (HE) includes a spectrum of neuropsychiatric abnormalities occurring in patients with liver dysfunction. Most cases are associated with cirrhosis and portal hypertension or portal-systemic shunts, but the condition can also be seen in patients with acute liver failure and, rarely, with portal-systemic bypass and no associated intrinsic hepatocellular disease. Although HE is a clinical condition, several neuroimaging techniques, particularly MR imaging, may eventually be useful for the diagnosis because they can identify and measure the consequences of central nervous system (CNS) increase in substances that under normal circumstances, are efficiently metabolized by the liver. Classic MR imaging abnormalities include high signal intensity in the globus pallidum on T1-weighted images, likely a reflection of increased tissue concentrations of manganese, and an elevated glutamine/glutamate peak coupled with decreased myo-inositol and choline signals on proton MR spectroscopy, representing disturbances in cell-volume homeostasis secondary to brain hyperammonemia. Recent data have shown that white matter abnormalities, also related to increased CNS ammonia concentration, can also be detected with several MR imaging techniques such as magnetization transfer ratio measurements, fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences, and diffusion-weighted images. All these MR imaging abnormalities, which return to normal with restoration of liver function, probably reflect the presence of mild diffuse brain edema, which seems to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of HE. It is likely that MR imaging will be increasingly used to evaluate the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HE and to assess the effects of therapeutic measures focused on correcting brain edema in these patients.

PMID: 18583413 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Sirolimus-eluting stents versus bare-metal stents in patients with in-stent restenosis: results of a pooled analysis of two randomized studies.

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2008 Oct 1;72(4):459-67

Authors: Alfonso F, Pérez-Vizcayno MJ, Hernandez R, Fernandez C, Escaned J, Bañuelos C, Bethencourt A, López-Mínguez JR, Angel J, Cequier A, Sabaté M, Morís C, Zueco J, Seabra-Gomes R,

BACKGROUND: Treatment of patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a challenge. We sought to compare results of sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) with those of bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with ISR. METHODS: The results obtained in the stent arm of two randomized studies were analyzed. The RIBS I study (450 patients with ISR) allocated 224 patients to BMS; the RIBS II study (150 patients with ISR) allocated 76 patients to SES. Complete 1-year follow-up was obtained in all 300 patients treated with stents. RESULTS: Although inclusion/exclusion criteria were identical in the two studies, when compared with patients in the BMS group, patients in the SES arm had more adverse baseline characteristics, more diffuse lesions, and smaller vessels. However, late angiographic findings including in-segment recurrent restenosis rate (11 vs. 38%, P < 0.001), minimal lumen diameter (2.52 vs. 1.63 mm, P < 0.001), and late loss (0.13 vs. 1.04 mm, P < 0.001) were significantly better after SES. The 1-year event-free survival was also significantly improved in the SES group (88 vs. 78%, P < 0.05), as the result of a lower requirement for repeated revascularizations (10.5 vs. 19.6%, P < 0.05). Prespecified subgroup analyses were consistent with the main outcome measures. After adjusting for (a) imbalances in baseline characteristics (restenosis OR 0.11 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03-0.36]; adverse events hazard ratios (HR) 0.33 [95% CI 0.13-0.84]) and (b) the propensity score (restenosis OR 0.08 [95% CI 0.03-0.28]; adverse events HR 0.24 [95% CI 0.09-0.66]), results of the SES group were superior to those obtained in the BMS group. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with BMS, SES improved the long-term clinical and angiographic outcome of patients with ISR.

PMID: 18814274 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Approach to critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy.

Postgrad Med J. 2008 Jul;84(993):354-60

Authors: Pati S, Goodfellow JA, Iyadurai S, Hilton-Jones D

A newly acquired neuromuscular cause of weakness has been found in 25-85% of critically ill patients. Three distinct entities have been identified: (1) critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP); (2) acute myopathy of intensive care (itself with three subtypes); and (3) a syndrome with features of both 1 and 2 (called critical illness myopathy and/or neuropathy or CRIMYNE). CIP is primarily a distal axonopathy involving both sensory and motor nerves. Electroneurography and electromyography (ENG-EMG) is the gold standard for diagnosis. CIM is a proximal as well as distal muscle weakness affecting both types of muscle fibres. It is associated with high use of non-depolarising muscle blockers and corticosteroids. Avoidance of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is the most effective way to reduce the likelihood of developing CIP or CIM. Outcome is variable and depends largely on the underlying illness. Detailed history, careful physical examination, review of medication chart and analysis of initial investigations provides invaluable clues towards the diagnosis.

PMID: 18716014 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Analgesic efficacy and safety of oxycodone in combination with naloxone as prolonged release tablets in patients with moderate to severe chronic pain.

J Pain. 2008 Dec;9(12):1144-54

Authors: Vondrackova D, Leyendecker P, Meissner W, Hopp M, Szombati I, Hermanns K, Ruckes C, Weber S, Grothe B, Fleischer W, Reimer K

This randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active-controlled, parallel-group study was designed to demonstrate the superiority of oxycodone in combination with naloxone in a prolonged release (PR) formulation over placebo with respect to analgesic efficacy. The active control group was included for sensitivity and safety analyses, and furthermore to compare the analgesic efficacy and bowel function of oxycodone PR/naloxone PR with oxycodone PR alone. The analgesic efficacy was measured as the time from the initial dose of study medication to multiple pain events (ie, inadequate analgesia) in patients with moderate to severe chronic low back pain. The full analysis population consisted of 463 patients. The times to recurrent pain events were significantly longer in the oxycodone PR/naloxone PR group compared with placebo (P < .0001-.0003); oxycodone PR/naloxone PR reduced the risk of pain events by 42% (P < .0001; full analysis population). The appearance of pain events was comparable for oxycodone PR/naloxone PR versus oxycodone PR, confirming that the addition of naloxone PR to oxycodone PR in a combination tablet did not negatively affect analgesic efficacy of the opioid. Furthermore, oxycodone PR/naloxone PR offers benefits in terms of an improvement in bowel function. In a therapeutic area of great unmet need, therefore, the combination tablet of oxycodone PR/naloxone PR offers patients effective analgesia while improving opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. Taken together with the observation that the safety profile of oxycodone PR/naloxone PR is consistent with that expected from other opioid analgesics except opioid-induced constipation, these findings indicate that the addition of naloxone to oxycodone in a PR combination tablet offers improved tolerability. Oxycodone PR/naloxone PR is therefore a promising new treatment approach for the management of chronic pain. PERSPECTIVE: This study evaluated the analgesic efficacy and safety of the combination of oxycodone PR/naloxone PR in chronic nonmalignant pain. Opioids are often reduced in dosage or even discontinued as a result of impaired bowel function, leading to insufficient pain treatment. Not only does oxycodone PR/naloxone PR demonstrate analgesic efficacy comparable with oxycodone PR, but it also improves opioid-induced bowel dysfunction, and may therefore improve the acceptability of long-term opioid treatment for chronic pain.

PMID: 18708300 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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