To reduce opioid use for lower back pain, we don't have to switch to other risky painkillers

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-09-28 01:00

Australia; International; NSW

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

A push to reduce the amount of opioids being used to treat lower back pain in Australian emergency rooms does not come with an increase in use of other 'risky' painkillers, according to Australian research. The team took a second look at a trial of a new guideline aimed at reducing opioid use which was held across four Australian emergency departments. The trial saw the use of opioids to treat people presenting with lower back pain reduced from 62.8% of cases to 50.5% without harming patient-reported outcomes. In this second analysis, researchers looked at the types of painkillers the doctors switched to during the trial to see if they were moving from one painkiller that can cause harm to another, such as benzodiazepines and antiepileptics. They say there was no evidence of this happening, with benzo use decreasing during the trial and increases seen in the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include aspirin and ibuprofen, and paracetamol. The researchers say this shows it's possible to move away from opioids in an emergency room using safer medications.