Smartest Doc
Heightened pain perception in illicit substance–using patients in the ED: implications for management
The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 12/23/2010
Neighbor ML et al. – The substance–using (SU) patients report more severe pain and functional interference, more psychiatric illness and mood distress, and more chronically painful conditions. Given the complex interplay between pain, substance use, and mood disorders, increased attention should be paid to identifying patients with these associated conditions and to facilitating appropriate referrals. Effective treatment of this challenging patient population requires treating the entirety of their medical, psychiatric, and addictive diseases.
