November 2007
In
this issue…
Practical
Bioethics Issue Focuses on Pain
Pediatric
Pain Management
The article “Massage Therapy Can Offer Pain Relief for Children” was printed in the Post and Courier and offers insight to complementary pain management for pediatrics. It highlights Medical University of South Carolina’s new program for pediatric pain management—Therapeutic Massage—and interviews SCPI member, Sheri Stewart, MUSC Pediatric Pain Management Coordinator. Please contact Sheri if you have any suggestions for funding sources that could help continue this program that is already showing positive results.
New
Book on Cancer Pain
A
new book on management of cancer pain, titled Cancer
Pain Management, edited
by Michael J Fisch, MD, and Allen
W
Burton, MD, was reviewed favorably by Judith A. Paice, RN, PhD, FAAN in a
recent article of Oncology.
She
states that she finds it an “excellent resource” for oncologists,
oncology nurses, and other pain management professions. It is a manageable
319 pages and includes comprehensive covering of differing specialties and
approaches to management of cancer pain including current references and
four appendices that contain focused clinically relevant topics covered in
2–5
pages. She regards it as “essential reading” for those who care for
people with cancer. Dr. Paice is Research Professor of Medicine at
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Published
by McGraw Hill
Medical.
Practical
Bioethics Issue Focuses on Pain
The
September
issue of Practical Bioethics is subtitled “Bioethics and Pain
Management.” The issue, published by the Center
for Practical Bioethics, includes the following articles:
·
“Medical
Professionalism and Responsibility in Pain Management,” by Dr. Richard
Payne, professor of medicine and divinity at Duke University Divinity School
and the Esther Colliflower Director of the Institute on Care at the End of
Life.
·
“A
Patient’s Perspective on Pain—Why More Understanding is Needed,” by
contributing editor Myra Christopher.
·
“Restoring
Balance to Pain Treatment Policy,” a report on the Center for Practical
Bioethics’ Balanced Pain Policy Initiative by Don Goldenbaum, director of
research, evaluation and publications at the Center.
·
“Bioethics
and Pain Management,” a conversation between Myra Christopher and
University of Wisconsin pharmacology professor June L. Dahl, PhD.
·
“Unfounded
Fear of Addiction—An Unnecessary Limit on the Use of Pain Medications,”
written by Peggy Compton, associate professor of nursing at the University
of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing.
·
“Beyond
Politics—The Patient,” by Dr. Betty Ferrell, professor of Nursing
Research and Education at the City of Hope Medical Center, an adaptation of
her lecture presented at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Association
of Cancer Pain Initiatives.
·
“Pain
Management in the Plan of Care—A Family’s Struggle to Decide,” by
Patricia Dalrymple, MSN, RN, a case study in pain management.
The issue is available at the Center for Practical Bioethics Web site. (Practical Bioethics, 2007;3(3), Carolinas Center Weekly Updates, 11/16/07)
Time
to Talk
NIH’s
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is
launching Time
to
Talk, a campaign to encourage health care providers and patients
to discuss complementary and alternative medicine use to ensure safe,
coordinated care. A recent AARP survey found that almost 75% of people 50
years of age and older do not discuss their use of CAM with their
providers. To order or download materials, please visit the NCCAM Web
site.
Pain
and Palliative Care Notes
·
“Clinical
and Ethical Issues in Palliative Care,” in the current Focus,
says, “A growing evidence base demonstrates the effectiveness
of palliative care clinical programs in improving symptoms,
quality of life, communication, concordance between patient
wishes and care received, family satisfaction, and bereavement
outcomes and in reducing costs. There are many opportunities
for psychiatrists to contribute to care for patients at the end
of life through enhanced involvement in palliative care
teams.” (Focus, 2007;5:393–397)
·
“Management
of Chronic Noncancer Pain in the Primary Care Setting” is the title
of an article in the October Southern Medical Journal. The abstract
says that long-acting opioids or opioid combination drugs are the
treatment of choice for patients with moderate to moderately severe pain.
Patients who have difficulty “managing opioids…should not be denied
access to opioid therapy, but they do require focused monitoring and case
management.” (Southern Medical
Journal, 2007;100(10):1028–1036) 
·
In
the first of a three-part series of columns on chronic pain, The New
York Times writer Jane Brody defines three types of pain, and explores
the physiology consequences of chronic pain. This week’s article will be
on how family and friends can help. The article, “Living
With Pain That Just Won’t Go Away,” can be found by visiting the
New York Times Web
site. (The New York Times,
11/6)
·
The
October issue of Pediatric Clinics of North
America
is focused on pediatric palliative
care. Free abstracts are available on their Web
site. (Pediatric Clinics of
North America, 2007;54(5))
·
Researchers
at the University of California, San Diego Center for Medical Cannabis
Research have found, in a placebo-controlled study,
that “a low dose of cannabis showed no effect, a medium dose provided
moderate pain relief, and a high dose increased the pain response.” Lead
researcher Dr. Mark Wallace says, “The results suggest a ‘therapeutic
window’ for cannabis analgesia.” The study
will be published in the November issue of Anesthesiology.
(Obesity, Fitness & Wellness
Week, 11/10)
·
St.
Louis University researchers have “figured out how to prevent tolerance
to morphine and other opiate narcotics,” according to an article
in last week’s The
Journal of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Rick Marinelli, president of
the American Academy of Pain Management, said, “This would be huge. It
would stop escalating doses, make the current doses work better and limit
the side effects patients get from too much pain medication.” (St.
Louis Post-Dispatch, 11/2, Carolinas Center Weekly Updates, 11/16/07)
December
Events
The
Carolinas Center Palliative Care Day 2007
December
5
SCHA
Conference Center
Columbia, SC
Save
the Date!
South
Carolina Cancer Alliance Quarterly Meeting
January
18, 2008
Charleston
Marriot
Charleston,
SC
SCCA
Friday Night FUNdraiser- A Low Country Celebration
January
18, 2008
Charleston
Marriott
Charleston, SC
September
25–26,
2008
Charlotte
Marriott Executive Park
Charlotte,
NC
Again, please check out the SCPI webpage and consider saving this link to your Favorites so that we can keep you updated on the latest news, events and resources in Pain Management.
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