Pain Management

The hydrocodone/acetaminophen combination is moved to Schedule II from III while single-agent extended-release hydrodocone is approved without a tamper-resistant mechanism.

A 46-year-old man with a history of HIV infection presents to the emergency department for left flank pain. A lateral x-ray film of the patient’s lumbar spine is shown. What is the diagnosis?

A 22-year-old young woman presents with complaints of severe pain in all the toes on both feet. She reported going hiking when the daytime temperature unexpectedly dropped. She describes persistent pain and mild pruritus in her toes. What is the diagnosis?   

The use of general anesthesia to speed opioid detox without the discomforts of withdrawal has no scientific support.

Chronic pain affects more Americans than diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and cancer combined. Here are some facts and figures about pain for you to consider.

Has this teen been abused? Cast your votes and see if you’ve answered this and the 4 other questions in this week’s quiz correctly.

New opioid labeling restricts the type of patient who should be prescribed long-acting/extended release formulations.

Rhabdomyolysis is linked to infection in up to 31% of cases. However, only 19 cases of rhabdomyolysis related to E coli infection have been reported.

Finger disorders may be caused by an injury or may result from another disorder, and it’s often hard to tell what happened. This week’s photo quiz tests your ability to recognize a variety of common problems.

Guideline recommendations are not only frequently being ignored, but the number of physicians not using them is growing.

Lortab is prescribed for a 58-year-old woman with low back pain that resulted from trauma. While at the pharmacy, she picked up a bottle of Tylenol® Cold. What is the problem?

This week’s questions cover a range of disorders-from infectious disease to GI problems, to HIV/AIDS. See how well you do . . .

An asymptomatic bump; IBD and celiac disease; a gradually expanding spot .... test your clinical skills on a range of disorders in this week's quiz.

The current study may help create new pathways for better understanding and developing more effective and more specific medications.

Rotating opioids can reduce the risk of developing tolerance to the analgesic effects of any single drug and of developing hyperalgesia.

The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) has recently been the target of a novel treatment for patients with cluster headaches. A sham-controlled randomized study of an implantable stimulator of the SPG offers encouraging preliminary results.

The goal is better developing the necessary skills for evaluating and managing patients who have persistent pain.

Clinicians’ understanding of pain and their pain management skills vary widely because there is no educational framework.

This week’s questions challenge your dermatologic and radiologic skills, and then some. See how you fare…

"The patient's report" has long been considered the most valid measure of human pain. Can fMRI replace that?

What caused vesicles and erythema and swelling of left auricle in this HIV-positive patient?

Among the NSAIDs used for relieving the pain of inflammatory arthritis, naproxen may have the best benefit to risk ratio on cardiovascular disease.

CRPS may involve central and peripheral factors, the latter including an inflammatory process, peripheral sensitization, and changes in sodium channels.

Lofgren syndrome, lumbar disk herniation, suppurative appendicitis with rupture, rotator cuff impingement syndrome, aortic dissection.

Seborrheic keratosis; retropharyngeal abscess; in situ malignant melanoma; statin-induced myalgias; basal cell carcinoma

Barriers to the use of statins-the most potent medicine currently available in the fight against atherosclerotic heart disease-are both real and perceived.

Patients who stop taking statins when rechallenged 1 year later are able to resume the same or a different statin with durable results.

Steroid injections for low back pain, tennis elbow, provide acute relief, but perhaps long-term damage.

An obese woman in her thirties with a history of fibromyalgia syndrome, depression, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and diabetes mellitus presents to her local emergency department with 1 week of gradually worsening midline back pain. What do these images show?

This condition is a more important risk factor than previously thought and should not be taken lightly.