...Technological Advancements in Pain Management Dishon Abbs 10/18/2010 Gabi Vosteen BIO 181 Lab Technological Advancements in Healthcare Throughout the world, many people live with pain every day. Some have never sought medical treatment, and others have received low quality and ineffective treatment. The approach to treating pain and illness depends on the culture and geographical location of the professional appointed to treat pain. In Western Tradition, physicians are considered to be experts on treating illness and pain by utilizing chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture, physical therapy and synthetic medicines. In Navajo tradition, medicine men are the experts on curing illness and pain with religious ceremonies and the use of natural herbs and remedies. Today, the most advanced practice in the health industry is pain management because of the combination of herbal medicines created by Navajos, and synthetic medicines created by Western Scientists. The study of medicine all began in the 1700s when Christopher Columbus came in contact with Indian people in the 1700s. The Indians and Europeans traded food, weapons, shelter and worked together, in a sense, to discover land and natural resources. Shortly after, Small pox, measles, and tuberculosis broke out and killed many people. This encouraged Western Scientists and Navajo People to try and discover cures for infectious diseases. Western Scientists engineered micro-organisms that would search and destroy harmful...
Words: 1759 - Pages: 8
...The article, “Do No Harm: CDC Guideline for Opioids and Chronic Pain” by Frieden basically reiterates the CDC guidelines mentioned previously. However, Frieden believes with safer prescribing the opioid epidemic could resolve. Today, with 249 million prescriptions being written, which is enough to grant all American adults with their own bottle. With so many prescriptions being written, it's no surprise 40 adults die each day from prescription opioid. There is no other known drug used for nonfatal conditions which kill users so often. When prescribing opioids the risks and benefits are not weighed. In fact, most doctors were taught opioid could not produce an addiction. Furthermore, doctors are either choose to ignore or are ignorant of the fact that opioids are not proven to control chronic pain long-term; other...
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...HurtingHealing & Rough Draft Peggy Matthews COM/172 6/9/2014 Mrs. Clarke Healing & Hurting Rough Draft Marijuana and opiates help when there’s pain you cannot naturally fight. But when abused they both get you higher than a kite. Medical Marijuana and opiates are used for pain relief, but are widely used for substance abuse. What is Marijuana? Is it an illegal drug? Or is marijuana a medical breakthrough? The United States Government contradicts itself everyday with this issue. The United States Government allows all states to pass bills if they so choose to, allow medical marijuana to be used as treatment for patients with chronic pain and recreational use. The other states are absolutely against the legalization of medical marijuana, saying “it is immoral”. What is the history behind Marijuana? I am going to take you on a journey ten thousand years ago in ancient civilization. Marijuana also called Cannabis was used for fiber. The humans in this time period also used the hemp seed for food. It was only natural that they discovered the medical properties of the plant. Cannabis was actually used for a list of reasons such as hemorrhoids, insomnia, headaches, pain, and even childbirth. But that was some time ago. In the 1970’s scientist were able to extract the THC from the plant. Thus making a synthetic version of the plant, and calling it Marinol. Marinol was approved from the Government and the FDA to be prescribed to patients. It was used to treat anorexia...
Words: 1397 - Pages: 6
...As stated by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders American Psychiatric Associate. (2014), “similar to the risk generally observed for all substance use disorder, opioid use disorder is associated with a heightened risk for suicide attempts and completed suicides”. The assessments that were given showed that Marifel was at a high risk of suicide, the family showed a history of drug addiction (based on the genogram), and Marifel was willing to accept and accomplish the therapy based on her PTSD that was determined, drug abuse, and suicide. A diagnosis concerning the mental state could not be evaluated based on the information that was given however, there is the suspicion that a mental health disorder could be given. This will be accomplished after the client has had further evaluation from other health care persons. This will be performed on the client because there may have been a possible brain injury or biological disorder that has developed in the client. Peoples whose brains do not function properly often show problems in psychological functioning...
Words: 2705 - Pages: 11
...Controlled Substance Prescription The inappropriate use of controlled substance (CS) particularly opioid analgesics is alarming and has been associated with illnesses and deaths across the globe. Although most are prescribed for genuine reasons and taken in responsible ways, there is considerable over-prescription, particularly of pain medications known as opioids. Coincidentally, the opioid is not the only drug being abused and overly prescribed. Antidepressants, stimulants, and tranquilizers fall into this category; just to mention a few. The increase in prescriptions of these medications has been linked to the frequency of abuse (Chen et al., 2014). According to the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health provided by the Substance...
Words: 652 - Pages: 3
...there is an extremely big difference between Suboxone (Buprenorphine) and heroin, or any other full agonist opioid for that matter. Hydrocodone (Vicodin,Lortab), Hydromorphone (Dilaudid), OxyContin, Oxymorphone (Opana), and diacetylmorphine (heroin) are all full agonist opioids, which means that they bind to the endogenous opioid receptors, especially the mu-receptor, with high affinity (binding strength) and high efficacy (strength of drug) and therefore the more a person takes of these opioids the more pain relief they receive, the more respiratory depression they experience, and so on. This is evident in that if an individual abuses these drugs, their tolerance increases, which requires a higher dosage of the drug to reach that same "baseline". Suboxone on the other hand is a partial agonist,...
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...A medication called Opioids is another form of treatment that relieves pain. It can reduce the feeling of pain by blocking the pain signals from reaching the brain. There are times when doctors prescribe opioids for treatment. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC recommends that patients should receive the lowest effective dosage, and that opioids should be combined with nonopioid therapies, such as physical therapy. When using opioids to relieve pain there are many side effects that go along with it. Some of the side effects include overdose, depression, and addiction. When a patient no longer use opioids they can go through the symptoms of withdrawal. Opioids can affect a person’s brain, because they are attached to proteins...
Words: 256 - Pages: 2
...Opioid addiction is a serious chronic relapsing but treatable disorder. Treatments approaches must be tailored to address each client’s drug abuse patterns, psychiatric and social problems, the primary care provider will choose along with client the best treatment. There is no right or wrong medications, only the right and wrong ways to use them. The treatment course will depended on duration of addiction, prior treatment experience, co-morbid medical and psychiatric conditions, and preferences for medication treatment. Medications can only change physiology, but new behavior can change lives. Many treatment programs that provide pharmacotherapy (Methadone or Suboxone) also requires that client participate in group therapies such as Narcotics Anonymous (NA) or weekly therapies with psychologist or psychiatrist. The addiction affects a person in so many ways and treatments must address the needs of a whole person to be successful. The goal of treatment counselors is to meet the individual medical, physiological, social and vocational to help with their recovery from addiction. Client and clinician should discuss the ongoing support options that will best fit the client’s needs. Here are some examples of these therapies: * Cognitive Behavioral Therapy seeks to help patients to recognize, avoid, and cope with the situations in with they are most likely to abuse drugs. * Group Therapy helps patients face their drugs abuse realistically, come to terms with its harmful consequences...
Words: 1247 - Pages: 5
...and lack of knowledge about pain management have been evident for approximately two decades. Because nurses are often the cornerstone of pain management, nurses' knowledge in this area is especially important. This paper explores indications of progress in the level of nursing knowledge about basic aspects of pain management. The literature is reviewed and findings from recent (1995) surveys of nurses' knowledge are compared with results of similar surveys conducted beginning in 1988. Improvements in nurses' knowledge of pain assessment, opioid dosing, and likelihood of addiction seem to have occurred. However, knowledge deficits continue. Fewer than one-half of the nurses surveyed understand that the patient's self report of pain is the single most reliable indicator of pain and that the nurse should increase a previously safe but ineffective dose of opioid. Findings from surveys on addiction reveal that the longer the patient receives opioids the more concerned nurses become about causing addiction. Nevertheless, results of current knowledge surveys of nurses suggest that educational efforts probably have been beneficial and should continue. To maximize the impact of educational efforts, content in basic and continuing education courses should be prioritized and critically evaluated for relevance and accuracy, especially content related to addiction. Early in the education of nurses, responsibility for pain assessment and use of analgesics...
Words: 5126 - Pages: 21
...the tab” Opioid Overdose”, the CDC mentions how the United States is under an Opioid overdose epidemic. They mention, in 2015 more than 33,000 people were killed from Opioids, including prescription opioids, and heroin. This is the most death ever recorded. The CDC states, “nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid”. To better protect the public’s health and hamper opioid overdose deaths, the CDC is first improving data. Meaning, they are enhancing “ data quality and timeliness to better track trends, identify communities at risk and evaluate prevention strategies” (CDC). Next, they are strengthening state efforts, which includes enhancing productive interventions. Finally, the CDC is equipping health care...
Words: 1514 - Pages: 7
...Quantitative Research Critique Quantitative research, which includes experimental research, was used in the study by Mohammadpour, Mohammadian, Moghadam, & Nematollahi (2013) to discover how localized heat effects chest pain in patients with acute coronary syndrome. This research critique critically reviews the strengths and limitations of their research study by examining the following areas: the protection of human participants, the problem statement, data collection and analysis methods, and what the implications to nursing practice and future research are. The research study was limited in the number of participants, but reported persuasive results proving that topical heat therapy makes a significant improvement in decreasing chest pain in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Protection of Human Participants Participants in this study were patients in a coronary care unit at a hospital affiliated with Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in Gonabad, Iran. Information about the goal of the research project was provided to each of them and whether or not they wanted to participate was completely voluntary. If they wished to withdraw from the study they could do so at any point. Additionally, a written informed consent form was signed by each participant. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. Benefits and risks of participation in this study were not identified by the authors. However, patients who were in...
Words: 1366 - Pages: 6
...Every day more than 115 people in the United States overdose due to the misuse and addiction to opioids; a crisis that affects the economy and public health. Opioids have been used as a way to manage pain; but what comes with these drugs is addiction and dependence. The history of opioid use has been originated from the early 1900s as Civil War Veterans were treated for pain, ultimately, getting hooked on painkillers. The Opioid epidemic is currently the deadliest drug crisis in American History. Overdoses are killing more people than guns and car accidents, spiraling a national health emergency. The idea of prescription restrictions and pain management strategies isn’t a topic that everyone agrees on; however, some doctors and patients have...
Words: 1811 - Pages: 8
...On September 21st, pharmacy chain store CVS Health declared that they will limit their opioid prescriptions to 7 days at a time for “ for certain acute prescriptions for patients who are new to therapy.” They will also be limiting the dosage depending on the opioid strength and require the use of immediate-release opioids before dispensing extended-release opioids. This program will be take place starting February 1, 2018, and will include all “commercial, health plan, employer and Medicaid clients.” In the wake of the United State’s opioid abuse crisis (the sales and prescription of opioids have quadrupled since 1999), states have individually started to crack down on opioids with similar restrictions. Now, companies such as CVS have also...
Words: 313 - Pages: 2
...Treatment Types for Oncologic Pain James Skelton Mercy College of Health Sciences Treatment Types for Oncologic Pain Nearly all those who are diagnosed with cancer will have some kind of pain associated with the disease process. This pain may be visceral, neuropathic, procedural, or psychological in nature. This paper is a discussion of the different procedural guidelines that are currently used by the World Health Organization in the treatment of oncologic pain. This is also a look at alternative therapies that may be used in conjunction with the previously accepted pharmacological treatment of Western medicine. Article Summary One The article written by Fielding, Sanford, and Davis (2013) is a review of the current step-by-step guidelines the WHO has had in place for some time along with a comprehensive assessment of pain, the use of opioids and their adverse affects, the role of adjuvants, and non-pharmacological means of cancer pain treatment. The WHO bases its algorhythm on simplistic, broad categories such as mild, moderate, and severe pain. The article itself is geared towards nurses because they have a unique role in advocating for the patient. The WHO has had a three step analgesic ladder that it has used as a basis for cancer pain treatment for nearly 30 years now. Fielding, et al. (2013), stated that health professionals need to go beyond this three step ladder that focuses primarily on physical pain. Cancer pain is not just a physical but a biopsychosocial...
Words: 1675 - Pages: 7
...Heroin Addiction Psyc 305 B-03 June 15, 2015 Abstract: This paper will serve to provide information about heroin addiction in our society. Heroin addiction is an epidemic problem in the United States and is growing every year. Factors such as genetics and environmental factors will be discussed as they relate to heroin addicts. Trends with prescription pain medication and their effects on heroin use will be discussed. This paper will also highlight the prevalence of heroin in the United States. Heroin affects different groups of people in all walks of life. Treatment for heroin will be discussed in the latter portion of this paper. This will highlight different options to fit specific needs. Addiction: a physical dependency on a substance (Doweiko, 2015), a chronic brain disease that causes compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences, (Addiction, 2015). There is no universally accepted way to define addiction. It seems that it is easier to qualify behavior as an addiction than it is to define the word itself. For the purpose of this paper we will use the four general categories of the DSM-5 to help identify and understand heroin addiction. This paper will serve to provide information about heroin addiction’s possible causes, prevalence and treatment. What causes heroin addiction? The causes of heroin addiction are not clear. As with most drugs it is thought that the user is trying to feel better or self-medicate...
Words: 1591 - Pages: 7
