Abstract | BACKGROUND: Long-term management of chronic pain with opioids may be stable over time or may be complicated by problematic dose increases, drug dependencies, and toxic effects. To determine clinical contexts in which stability or problems may occur, we examined the pharmacologic and clinical correlates of long-term prescriptions of oxycodone/acetaminophen, a commonly prescribed short-acting opioid formulation. METHODS: RESULTS: In aggregate, 2195 patients (31% with cancer diagnoses per the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification) received oxycodone/acetaminophen for more than 9 months at a mean prescribed daily dose of 3.9 tablets per day (range, 0.5-13.0 tablets per day) with minimal changes in daily prescribed mean dose over time. Patients with cancer were more likely than other patients to receive concurrent long-acting opioids. For patients without cancer, a higher mean daily dose was associated with duration, older age, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and/or AIDS, and with prescribed benzodiazepines and long-acting opioids; concurrent benzodiazepine prescriptions were associated with anticonvulsant prescriptions and with psychogenic pain and alcohol abuse and/or dependence diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS:
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Authors | John A Hermos, Melissa M Young, David R Gagnon, Louis D Fiore |
Journal | Archives of internal medicine
(Arch Intern Med)
Vol. 164
Issue 21
Pg. 2361-6
(Nov 22 2004)
ISSN: 0003-9926 [Print] United States |
PMID | 15557416
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
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Chemical References |
- Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
- Analgesics, Opioid
- Drug Combinations
- Acetaminophen
- Oxycodone
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Topics |
- Acetaminophen
(administration & dosage)
- Adult
- Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
(administration & dosage)
- Analgesics, Opioid
(administration & dosage)
- Chronic Disease
- Drug Combinations
- Drug Prescriptions
(statistics & numerical data)
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Neoplasms
(complications)
- Oxycodone
(administration & dosage)
- Pain
(drug therapy, etiology)
- Time Factors
- Veterans
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