Uncovering predictors for post-surgical chronic opioid use
Penn Nursing researchers have identified several key predictors of whether a patient will continue using opioids long after the typical recovery period from surgical procedures.
1 min. read
A new systematic review and meta-analysis led by Penn Nursing researchers, published inPain Medicine, has identified the specific patient-related risk factors that most accurately predict which individuals are at the highest risk for New Persistent Opioid Use, a dangerous transition to long-term opioid use following recovery from surgical procedures.
The study, which synthesized data from 27 high-quality studies, found that four primary factors significantly increase the odds of a patient becoming a long-term opioid user following surgery: Medicaid enrollment, preoperative benzodiazepine use, mood disorders, and anxiety. Through a rigorous meta-analysis, the research team derived “pooled odds ratios,” which quantify how much each factor is associated with the odds of persistent use.
“Identifying who is at risk before the first incision is made is a critical step in combatting the opioid crisis,” said lead author and doctoral student Yoonjae Lee, DNP, APRN. “Our findings provide a roadmap for clinicians to implement targeted interventions, ensuring that high-risk patients receive enhanced monitoring and alternative pain management strategies.”
Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form.
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies.
In honor of Valentine's Day, and as a way of fostering community in her Shakespeare in Love course, Becky Friedman took her students to the University Club for lunch one class period. They talked about the movie "Shakespeare in Love," as part of a broader conversation on how Shakespeare's works are adapted.
In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love.
Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion
Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.
