Category: Pain Medicine
The group received 90 percent of its $5 million in funding in 2010 from the drug and medical-device industry, and its guides for patients, journalists and policymakers had played down the risks associated with opioid painkillers while exaggerating the benefits.
Infants’ Tylenol Oral Suspension, 1 oz. Grape, recalled after consumers reported difficulty using the product’s dosing system.
The Seattle Times series on methadone deaths highlights the drawbacks of drug treatment for pain and the need to explore alternative approaches, writes Bill Scott.
Following an series of articles in the Seattle Times drawing attention to the high death rate among patients taking methadone. Washington state will issue a public health advisory that singles out the unique risks of methadone, a commonly prescribed pain medicine that’s linked to the most accidental overdose deaths.
The Seattle Times has launched an investigative series on Washington state’s policy towards the use of the pain killer methadone for the treatment of chronic pain. The paper argues the drug is dangerously unpredictable and responsible for the deaths of hundreds, particularly among the poor.
96 percent responding that they believe enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill patients is more important than extending life as long as possible.
Every year more than 5 million people in the U.S. are treated in ICUs. For patients, family and friends, the ICU experience is often emotional and confusing. Here are some tips to help you cope.
Acute pain can be harrowing — and receiving prompt and helpful treatment can make all the difference in the world.
Programs aim to bring palliative care to emergency rooms where end-of-life wishes can be forgotten in the rush to provide treatment.
“Pain encompasses the entire person. It’s not just in your leg or back. It encompasses the entire being of who you are and what you can do and don’t do. So physically, mentally psychologically: you have to take care of all of those things.”
Taken correctly, acetaminophen — the active ingredient in Tylenol and hundreds of other over-the-counter medications — is safe and effective, but the margin between a therapeutic and a dangerous dose is smaller than many people might realize.
Some doctors are asking pain patients to sign “pain contracts” that spell out the rules patients must follow in order to obtain a prescription for opioid medications.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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