The role of peripheral opiate antagonists in pain medicine and perioperative care

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pre-clinical and clinical trials of peripheral opiate antagonists have shed new light on the effects of exogenous and endogenous opioids. CONTENTS: This article review preclinical studies and clinical opioid bowel disfunction trials. CONCLUSIONS: If approved these drugs may offer potential solutions to important clinical problems in pain management. © Sociedade Brasileira de Anestesiologia, 2008.