Opioid Epidemic
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You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.
Chapter 14: Managing Pain
Critical Thinking Exercise: Opioid Epidemic
After reading Chapter 14, you should be aware that pain is multifaceted and includes not only a physical sensation, but also emotional, social, and behavioral components, the last three of which may relate to how well one copes with pain. For instance, the pain from a severe injury that occurred during the winning goal in a soccer game would be interpreted differently than pain from an injury that resulted in the loss of a game.
Pain is all-encompassing and can be debilitating. As noted in the chapter, at least 10% of the world’s population experiences some type of pain. Within the United States, approximately 25 million adults suffer from chronic pain. As a result of this, many sufferers are prescribed opioids, which work centrally in the spinal cord and brain to reduce the perceived intensity of pain or the brain’s response to pain. However, this has led to an overuse of opioids and is now termed an opioid epidemic. In 2016, 42,000 people died from an opioid overdose in the United States. This has spurred legislators, health care providers, and public health officials to find a way to reverse this trend.
Research current data on the opioid epidemic and potential solutions in order to answer the following questions. Consider sources such as the Prescription Nation 2018: Facing America’s Opioid Epidemic by the National Safety Council.
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Opioids are extremely powerful and effective in reducing pain messages and perception of pain. These drugs are considered agonists because they excite the system by increasing feelings of relaxation, euphoria, and tranquility, while reducing pain and feelings of apprehension. However, this effectiveness makes them highly addictive as individuals want to continue these positive feelings and the reduction in pain. Unfortunately, these drugs have to be increased to continue to be effective, which can lead to taking higher and higher doses in a short period of time to get the same effects.
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Some of the side effects or risk factors of taking opioids include the following: greater risk of a cardiovascular event, GI bleeding, fractures, hospitalization for an adverse drug event, cognitive and physical impairment, drowsiness, lethargy, constipation, nausea and vomiting, increased sensitivity to pain, delayed recovery, and death.
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Student answers may vary but look for evidence of critical thinking in relation to alternative pain reduction strategies, reducing prescriptions for opioids, increasing awareness in health care providers and the general public, improving addiction services, etc.
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Student answers will vary based on their state and the state they chose for comparison. However, look for evidence of critical thinking in comparing these two states instead of just a description of each state separately.