[Opioids in the management of chronic pain and driving ability]

Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2010 Jun;45(6):384-5. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1255344. Epub 2010 Jun 10.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Opioids are important in pain management of patients suffering from chronic pain. However, opioid use is associated with several concerns, such as opioid induced impairment of cognitive and psychomotor performance. Several studies could demonstrate that opioid treatment in stable doses does not necessarily impair complex activities such as driving ability. But due to intraindividual variability to opioid response and other confounding factors (e.g. pain intensity, co-morbidity) judgements have to be made on an individual basis only.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / adverse effects*
  • Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use*
  • Automobile Driving*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Guidelines as Topic
  • Humans
  • Pain / complications*
  • Pain / drug therapy*
  • Psychomotor Performance / drug effects
  • Reaction Time / drug effects

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid