![]() ![]() ![]() Although this problem was most acute in the US, other countries like Canada, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and the UK also saw a surge in opioid-analgesic poisoning deaths, indicative of a growing health crisis driven by opioid addiction and misuse. From 1999 to 2011, the opioid-analgesic poisoning death rate in the US nearly quadrupled due to misuse and abuse of prescription opioid analgesics. However, there are well documented risks associated with opioid medication including misuse, dependence (opioid use disorder) and deaths due to overdose. Opioids are used to treat moderate to severe pain with evidence supporting short-term efficacy and they have been considered essential for pain management by the World Health Organisation (WHO) since 1986. While there is a high prevalence of pain in high income countries, the burden of untreated pain falls heavily on the developing world. Untreated pain, especially chronic pain, has significant physical, psychological, social and economic consequences, and a profound impact on quality of life. Pain is recognised as a global health problem affecting an estimated 20% of adults.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |