Current Reviews in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology - Online First

Large uterine fibroids (UFs) are clonal neoplasms of the uterus that form during the mid and late-aged women. Such women generally consume oral contraceptive pills, tranexamic acid, or NSAIDS to manage heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and associated complications while waiting for a conclusive procedure or avoiding hysterectomy. The procoagulant effect of these medicinal agents can result in venous stasis of the lower limbs, leading to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a challenging complication with HMB. We examine the complicated state of heavy bleeding with thrombosis and explore better management options. It has been seen that women with hypothyroidism have an increased risk of getting DVT due to an alteration in the coagulation system. These incidences are mostly associated with higher uterine weight, which is related to the extrinsic compression of the inferior vena cava. In such cases, the occurrence of postoperative thrombosis is riskier if hysterectomy/myomectomy is the only option. Utilization of appropriate anticoagulants with modification of the steroid-hormone system using hormone agonists or antagonists (e.g., levonorgestrel intrauterine system, high-dose progestin-only therapy, danazol, aromatase inhibitors, Vitamin-D supplements or selective estrogen receptor modulators) could be an effective technique, but adverse consequences of continued use should be monitored. More research is needed into the basic biology associated with the role of growth factors and genetic alterations in these malignancies. The development of new leiomyomas following conservative therapy is also a significant issue.

The opioid crisis has profoundly changed the interest in using nonopioid analgesics. This review identified nonopioid drugs receiving the most interest in the treatment of postoperative pain. Publication-based interest, which reflects the authors’ choices of subjects for academic articles, was used to show the shifts in their interest. The authors’ choices of a particular drug for an article’s subject were regarded as reflective of the collective opinion of experts most knowledgeable on the subject. The frequency with which a drug was the topic of an article was measured with the use of specific bibliometric indices. They were employed to select nonopioid drugs for this review. These included acetaminophen, dexmedetomidine, dexamethasone, ketamine, gabapentin, ibuprofen, ketorolac, diclofenac, magnesium sulfate, clonidine, intravenous lidocaine, and meloxicam (in order of most to least bibliometric interest). Individual reviews on these agents described how the bibliometric indices characterized a drug. They also addressed the question of whether a nonopioid analgesic produced a marked opioid-sparing effect. Information relative to this question was presented via the results of meta-analyses with emphasis on the possible reduction of opioid-related side effects. Overall, nonopioid drugs demonstrating the largest popularity among authors and continuous interest growth in 2018-2022 include acetaminophen, dexmedetomidine, dexamethasone, and ibuprofen. The relevant meta-analyses show that nonopioids, administered as components of multimodal analgesia, provided the opioid-sparing effect; they also show that the most common change in the opioid-related side effects was a lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting.