Quick Hits: Bariatric surgical patients at risk for newly persistent opioid use.A significant number of patients undergoing weight-loss surgery may rely heavily on opioid painkillers long after their surgical procedures. A data study showed that the rate of new prolonged opioid use among patients who underwent weight loss surgery was 45% higher than the 6% rate reported among the general surgery patients who did not take opioids before their surgery.
Additionally, it showed that about 9% of patients who did not take opioids until (or a month before) their weight-loss operation were reportedly still using opioids one year after their surgical procedure. Opioids are meant to be short-term analgesics. The study, led by Amir A. Ghaferi, MD, MS, FACS, FASMBS, associate professor of surgery at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was presented at the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2017 this week. Via EurekaAlert.
Quick Hits: The FDA warns company about innacuracies in lead-testing devices.The FDA has sent a warning letterto Magellan Diagnostics, Inc. for violating federal law by significantly modifying versions of 3 of its blood lead-testing systems without the FDA’s approval. The company was also cited for failing to submit reports on the device after customers complained about discrepancies in the test results.
The innacuracy of these tests has led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a recommendation that people be restested, particularly children and pregnant women. Via FDA.
