Is it Possible to Develop an Addiction to Opioids in Oncology Patients Suffering from Pain?

Czech version

Authors: Z. Toman
Authors‘ workplace: Odborný léčebný ústav onkologie a pneumologie na Pleši, ředitelka MUDr. Alexandra Aschermannová
Published in: Anest. intenziv. Med., , 2001, č. 4, s. 195-197
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Overview

An addiction to opioids in oncology patients suffering from severe pain is developing in a different way compared to street-drug addicts. Itsdevelopment is possible according to the regimen of their application:1. Treatment strategy based on a fixed-interval schedule provides the patient with a time-constant pain relief. This strategy preventively suppressesemerging pain. with application of this regimen, drug addiction is suppressed to a minimum.2. Analgetic strategy "on demand" is a practical presentation of opioid-phobia of a physician.Opioids are administered irregularly. Pain relief is repeatedly replaced with pain emergence. Frequent changing of those states can lead to psychicaldependence and subsequently leads to the development of iatrogenically induced drug-addic tion behavior.

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