Editorial
The double cross of morphine: Stopping OIH in its tracks
Abstract
The likelihood of suffering most chronic pain conditions
increases with age. Thus, as the elderly population of the world
expands, and as the incidence of pain goes up with age, it is
necessary to place an increased emphasis on the importance
of pain relief as a vital standard of care. Opioid medications
remain not only the gold standard analgesic against which all
others are compared, but also the primary source of analgesia
for chronic cancer and non-cancer pain. In line with this, the
licit global consumption of morphine increased by a factor of
7 between 1989 and 2009 (International Narcotics Control
Board, INCB).
increases with age. Thus, as the elderly population of the world
expands, and as the incidence of pain goes up with age, it is
necessary to place an increased emphasis on the importance
of pain relief as a vital standard of care. Opioid medications
remain not only the gold standard analgesic against which all
others are compared, but also the primary source of analgesia
for chronic cancer and non-cancer pain. In line with this, the
licit global consumption of morphine increased by a factor of
7 between 1989 and 2009 (International Narcotics Control
Board, INCB).
