Manage acute pain in opioid-tolerant patients with simple analgesics and adjuvants, along with increased doses of opioids if necessary

AbstractOpioid tolerance complicates post-surgical analgesia in many patients, with an increased incidence of psychiatric comorbidity often adding complexity. For the management of acute pain in opioid-tolerant patients, a multimodal approach using simple analgesics, adjuvant agents and short-term increased doses of opioids is recommended, with early involvement of specialist pain services. Paradoxical opioid-induced hyperalgesia, as opposed to acute opioid tolerance, requires compensated dose reduction of the precipitating opioid.
Source: Drugs and Therapy Perspectives - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research