Opioid Dosing in Renal and Hepatic Impairment
Opioid Dosing in Renal and Hepatic Impairment
Opioid analgesics are considered the mainstay of pain management. The primary goal of analgesia is optimizing the patient's comfort. However, dosing these agents may be complicated in patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment. Most recommendations are based on case reports; therefore, appropriate analgesic agent selection requires a thorough understanding of the drugs' pharmacokinetics and side-effect profiles. This article will review opioid analgesics and their vital clinical pharmacokinetic considerations when treating patients with hepatic and/or renal insufficiency.
Pain is a condition affecting more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined, with an estimated incidence of 100 million people. Comorbid conditions such as hepatic and renal disease may complicate pain treatment with appropriate opioid analgesics.
Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Opioid analgesics are considered the mainstay of pain management. The primary goal of analgesia is optimizing the patient's comfort. However, dosing these agents may be complicated in patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment. Most recommendations are based on case reports; therefore, appropriate analgesic agent selection requires a thorough understanding of the drugs' pharmacokinetics and side-effect profiles. This article will review opioid analgesics and their vital clinical pharmacokinetic considerations when treating patients with hepatic and/or renal insufficiency.
Introduction
Pain is a condition affecting more Americans than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined, with an estimated incidence of 100 million people. Comorbid conditions such as hepatic and renal disease may complicate pain treatment with appropriate opioid analgesics.