Lazzari, M., Greco, M.T., Marcassa, C., Finocchi, S., Caldarulo, C., & Corli, O. (2015). Efficacy and tolerability of oral oxycodone and oxycodone/naloxone combination in opioid-naive cancer patients: A propensity analysis. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 9, 5863–5872.
To compare the analgesic efficacy and safety, and quality of life of oxycodone (OXY) compared with oxycodone/naloxone (OXN) combination in treating opioid-naïve patients
Patients were seen at three or four different times when starting long-acting oxycodone products.
PHASE OF CARE: Multiple phases of care
Retrospective, observational, three data collection time periods—T0, T30, and T60. T15 available for patients who needed closer monitoring.
The patients who received OXN had better early improvement in bowel function than the patients who received OXY (p < 0.001).
OXN and OXY have similar analgesic effects, but OXN seems to have better bowel outcomes.
OXN may have better bowel function outcomes compared with OXY in patients starting analgesics.