Journal Club - Pain management of Renal Colic

Journal Club - Pain management of Renal Colic


Renal colic is a commonly encountered diagnosis in the emergency department that is known to cause significant pain. In clinical practice, the initial goal is prompt pain management while simultaneously working to confirm the suspected diagnosis. Because of the severity and acuity of the pain associated with renal colic, opioid pain management has often been used. Given the overall goal of reducing the use of opioid pain medications, emergency physicians have been working to identify alternative pain management strategies with agents such ketorolac and lidocaine. In this journal club, we examine the evidence in support of these treatment strategies.

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A New Era of Opioid Prescribing in Maine

A New Era of Opioid Prescribing in Maine

Opioid overdose deaths have continued to climb over the past few years. This national trend is also being seen in Maine where it ranked #13 in terms of overdose deaths per 100,000 population (MMWR: Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015). In response to this trend, Maine has recently passed legislation controlling the prescription of opioids and benzodiazepines.  Here are are six provisions of the new law every prescribing physician should know. 

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