Table 2.
Potential consensus-based indications for short-term use of opioids; long-term continuation only if positive therapy response is present (predefined goals of treatment reached and tolerable side effects).
| Clinical entity | Level of evidence (Oxford) | Strength of recommendation | Strength of consensus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic pain due to brain lesions (eg, status after thalamic stroke, multiple sclerosis) | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic pain due to complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), types I and II | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic secondary headache (eg, after subarachnoidal hemorrhage) | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic osteoporosis pain (eg, new vertebral body fractures) | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic pain due to other inflammatory rheumatic diseases except rheumatoid arthritis (eg, systemic lupus erythematodes and seronegative spondylarthritis) | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic postsurgical pain (eg, postthoracotomy, poststernotomy, and postmastectomy syndrome, and after abdominal, facial, or hernia surgery) | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic pain due to ischemic or inflammatory arterial occlusive disease | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic pain due to grade 3 and 4 decubitus ulcers | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic pain due to fixed contractures in nursing-dependent patients | 5 | Open | Consensus |
| Posttraumatic trigeminal neuropathy | 5 | Open | Strong consensus |
| Chronic pelvic pain by extensive adhesions and/or advanced endometriosis | 5 | Open | Consensus |