opioids

February 16, 2017

Protocol standardizes care for pregnant women on opiates

Complications related to opioid abuse occur in 54,000 pregnancies annually in the United States, and Tennessee ranks among the top 10 states in the number of opioid-dependent pregnant women.

By VUMC News and Communications
December 15, 2016

Babies born with opioid withdrawal disproportionately increasing in rural areas

An increasing number of newborns are being born with drug withdrawal symptoms from opioids in rural areas of the United States as compared to births in urban areas, according to a JAMA Pediatrics study.

By Craig Boerner
October 13, 2016

Drug dependency clinic set to open in Springfield

As Tennessee’s opioid epidemic escalates and the prevalence of opiate dependency in pregnancy continues to require additional resources, Vanderbilt will open another Drug Dependency Clinic at the Vanderbilt Center for Women’s Health at NorthCrest Medical Center in Springfield, Tennessee.

By Jessica Pasley
July 28, 2016

Opioids’ impact on women’s health explored at research symposium

Women may be at higher risk than men when it comes to overuse of opioid-containing painkillers, speakers warned at a research symposium at Vanderbilt University Medical Center earlier this month.

By Bill Snyder
July 7, 2016

VUMC symposium to explore risks, impact of opioids

The risks of taking opioids during pregnancy or to manage chronic pain, and the impact this frequently prescribed class of pain relievers has on the adolescent brain will be discussed Wednesday, July 13, during a “bedside-to-bench” symposium at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

By Bill Snyder
Image of pain pills (iStock Photo)
June 23, 2016

Drug monitoring programs reduce opioid deaths: study

The implementation of state prescription drug monitoring programs was associated with the prevention of approximately one opioid-related overdose death every two hours on average nationwide, according to a new Vanderbilt-led study released this week in the journal “Health Affairs.”

By Christina Echegaray
June 14, 2016

Study shows opioids increase risk of death when compared to other pain treatments

Long-acting opioids are associated with a significantly increased risk of death when compared with alternative medications for moderate-to-severe chronic pain, according to a Vanderbilt study released today in the Journal of the American Medical Assocation (JAMA).
By Craig Boerner
May 13, 2016

New pain medicine from a fungus?

Collybolide – a natural product isolated from a mushroom – is a promising candidate for the development of non-addictive pain medicines.
By Sanjay Mishra
November 19, 2015

Study links opioids, infection risk for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Use of opioid analgesics is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for serious infections among patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to a Vanderbilt study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
By VUMC News and Communications
October 1, 2015

Study shows decline in opioid use among preoperative patients

Declining use of prescription painkillers among preoperative patients seeking joint replacements indicates efforts by the state of Tennessee to tighten the spigot on opioids are beginning to have an impact, according to a study by Vanderbilt’s Andrew Shinar, M.D.
By Tom Wilemon
June 4, 2015

Study highlights need for orthopaedic surgeons to use caution when prescribing opioid pain medications

A Vanderbilt physician researcher is highlighting that orthopaedic surgeons are among the highest prescribers of opioid pain medicine in the United States and calling on practitioners to exercise caution when prescribing the potentially addictive pain medicine.
By VUMC News and Communications
April 13, 2015

Vanderbilt study finds babies exposed to narcotic pain relievers more likely to experience drug withdrawal syndrome

Legally prescribed narcotics taken during pregnancy can lead to neonatal abstinence syndrome, especially in combination with tobacco or SSRIs.
By Christina Echegaray