An Appraisal of Using Opioids in Patients with Opioid Use Disorder

J Am Podiatr Med Assoc. 2023 May-Jun;113(3):22-150. doi: 10.7547/22-150.ABSTRACTPodiatric physicians have come to realize that opioid use disorder (OUD) is a public health crisis causing morbidity, mortality, lost productivity, and legal cost in the United States. Opioid analgesics are efficient first-line pain relievers for acute and chronic lower-extremity pain syndrome. Perioperative pain management strategies have been proposed using opioid stewardship, but there are few standardized protocols to guide podiatric medical providers treating patients with OUD. First, we describe the pharmacology of therapeutic agents used as medications for addiction treatment for OUD and substance use disorder (SUD). Second, we offer criteria for selecting acute pain and perioperative management in patients with OUD and SUD per current medical literature. Finally, we review the literature applying opioid stewardship in the context of prescribing opioid analgesics in the presence of OUD and SUD. Three hypothetical clinical scenarios grounded in clinical-based literature are described with congruent data and founded guidelines. The first and second scenarios describe acute pain and perioperative management in patients with OUD receiving methadone and buprenorphine-naloxone, respectively. The third scenario describes acute pain and perioperative management in a patient with SUD receiving intravenous naltrexone. We hope that the lower-extremity specialist will appreciate that thoughtful managem...
Source: Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association - Category: Podiatry Authors: Source Type: research