Clinical Pediatric Dermatology Open Access

Topical medical cannabis based medicines: A new treatment for wound pain

Joint Event on 5^th International Conference on Advances in Skin, Wound Care and Tissue Science & 14^th International Conference on Clinical Dermatology

October 15-16, 2018 Rome, Italy

Lydia Zomparelli, Vincent Maida, Jason Corban, Runji Bill Shi and Jimmy Qui

McMaster University, Canada William Osler Health System, Canada University of Toronto, Canada

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Clin Pediatr Dermatol

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Wound Pain generates significant suffering, reduced quality of life, and reduced productivity for patients. At present, opioids are the commonest modality. Systemic opioids have recently come under scrutiny given the world wide epidemic of accidental overdoses. Topical opioids have demonstrated only marginal analgesia in 3 of 8 randomized controlled studies, and their onset of action occurs 60 minutes of their application. Furthermore, recent studies are demonstrating that opioids also inhibit wound healing. The discovery of the endocannabinoid system throughout the integumentary provides a valid and logical scientific platform to consider the use of TMC based medicines in wound management. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: A series of n=1 trials of patients with painful wounds reporting greater than 5/10 pain were offered treatment with TMC based medicines that were applied directly to their wound beds. More than 20 patients were treated and their wound etiology’s included Pyoderma Gangrenosum, Venous leg ulcers, ischemic ulcers, vasculitis, acute zoster, burns, and skin cancers. All patients experienced more than 50% pain relief within 5-10 minutes of topical instillation onto their wound beds. The duration of analgesia ranged between 4-6 hours. An opioid sparing effect was noted in the majority of cases. No adverse reactions, neither systemic nor local, were observed or reported by patients. Conclusion & Significance: As a safe, inexpensive, self-titrated, and non-invasive treatment modality, TMC based medicines hold great potential in wound management and may help to curb the current world-wide opioid crisis. TMC based medicines may be useful in all wound classes. TMC based medicines have the potential to deal with both baseline wound pain and wound-related breakthrough pain such as procedural pain.

Biography :

Vincent Maida is a consultant in Palliative Medicine & Wound Management at the William Osler Health System in Toronto. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Toronto. He was promoted to Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in 2011. He completed his MSc in Wound Management in 2010, his Medical Teachers Certificate in 2011, and his certificate in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement in 2014, all at the University of Toronto. He is an active researcher with particular interests in pain and symptom management, wound management, prognosis, and medical education. Over the past 10 years he has published 4 textbook chapters, over 30 original research papers, created numerous original conceptual innovations in Palliative Medicine and Wound Management, as well as delivering over 100 national and international presentations on 5 continents, 14 countries, and over 50 cities.

E-mail: Vincent.maida@utoronto.ca