Trending News: Patients Taking Opioids Feel Stigmatized, Overlooked

An algorithm using clinical data was successful in providing an efficient tool for pediatric sepsis surveillance, according to Contagion Live. Investigators conducted a retrospective observational study at a single academic children’s hospital to test the surveillance algorithm. They found that there was an increase in sepsis incidence and stable mortality, free from influence of changes in diagnosis or billing practices.

A study found that patients who took opioids for chronic non-malignant pain often felt stigmatized and did not want to take the medication, according to HCP Live. Researchers screened 2994 unique citations and checked full texts to better understand the experience of taking or coming off of opioids for chronic non-malignant pain. The review found that individuals who took opioids weighed the pros and cons of the medication but felt they had no choice but to take them due to pain and felt they were not always on the same page as their health care provider.

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for 13% of hematologic cancers and yet the prevalence of incidence of the disease in China has remained something of a mystery, according The American Journal of Managed Care. A new study has found that approximately 6 individuals per 100,000 in China have MM, aligning China with other countries in eastern Asia, but below the rate of the cancer in North America, western Europe, and Australia. Researchers believe that the age of diagnosis for MM may be closely related to the mean life expectancy in corresponding regions.