The Community Focus Channel on VJHemOnc is an independent medical education platform, supported with funding from Johnson & Johnson (Gold). Supporters have no influence on the production of content. The levels of sponsorship listed are reflective of the amount of funding given.
The Non-Malignant Channel on VJHemOnc is an independent medical education platform, supported with funding from Agios (Gold). Supporters have no influence on the production of content. The levels of sponsorship listed are reflective of the amount of funding given.
The Sickle Cell Disease Channel on VJHemOnc is an independent medical education platform, supported with funding from Agios (Gold). Supporters have no influence on the production of content. The levels of sponsorship listed are reflective of the amount of funding given.
ASCAT 2024 | Pain management in SCD: integrating medications and non-pharmacological interventions
Natasha Archer, MD, MPH, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, discusses her talk on pain management in sickle cell disease (SCD), emphasizing the importance of individualized pain action plans that integrate not only medications such as non-opioids, opioids, and special opioids (buprenorphine and methadone) but also resilience skills and complementary therapies. Dr Archer highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to pain management that includes both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments to ensure steady and effective pain relief. This interview took place at the 19th Annual Scientific Conference of the Academy for Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia (ASCAT 2024) in London, UK.
These works are owned by Magdalen Medical Publishing (MMP) and are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All rights are reserved.
Transcript
During that talk, I really went through a little bit the background of pain in sickle cell disease. I talked a little bit about what components people should be thinking about when making pain action plans, and that includes both non-opioids, opioids, special opioids like buprenorphine and methadone, as well as resilience skills and complementary therapies. I think the main takehome of my presentation was, again, thinking about those pain action plans and how every patient should have a pain action plan and that it shouldn’t only revolve around medicines, but those resilience skills as well as complementary therapies...
During that talk, I really went through a little bit the background of pain in sickle cell disease. I talked a little bit about what components people should be thinking about when making pain action plans, and that includes both non-opioids, opioids, special opioids like buprenorphine and methadone, as well as resilience skills and complementary therapies. I think the main takehome of my presentation was, again, thinking about those pain action plans and how every patient should have a pain action plan and that it shouldn’t only revolve around medicines, but those resilience skills as well as complementary therapies.
When it comes to some of the medications, I think we’re very used to a general pain algorithm where we start with non-steroidals and then move up to maybe opioids and from weak to stronger opioids. And, you know, it’s somewhere thrown in there are sort of some complementary therapies like heat and hydration maybe, and then the use of other types of therapies like NMDA antagonist. And I think, you know, we should be incorporating those into the latter more, not just as, you know, off the side in some populations or special off the side medications and therapies.
You know, talking specifically about some of the medications that I mentioned during the presentation, I talked a little bit about the special opioids. And, you know, one of those is buprenorphine that we’re seeing used more and more within other chronic pain syndromes and as well as sickle cell disease. Typically, it’s used as a substance use disorder medication, but could be very helpful for individuals who have increased acute care utilization, could also be helpful in individuals who are on chronic opioids just given its properties. It has a long duration of action and it has very high affinity, so it kind of knocks off the other opioids off the receptor. And then lastly, it’s a partial mu agonist. So it really keeps the patient steady as opposed to highs and lows when it comes to therapy.
Read more...
Disclosures
Haemonetics, Quilt Health.
