title: Acute pain and opioid seeking behaviour.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute pain is a common presentation associated with opioid seeking behaviour.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This case study provides a practical approach for general practitioners seeing patients with acute pain whom they suspect of seeking opioids because of dependence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute pain commonly presents as an emergency appointment 'squeezed in' between booked appointments. General practitioners have to make a rapid assessment of the possible underlying causes, relieve pain, and establish a plan for further investigation and management. Furthermore, some opioid dependent people can and do effectively feign acute pain in order to obtain opioid medication.
authors.affiliation: Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. m.sim@ecu.edu.au
authors.forename: Moira G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Gary K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Hulse
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Khong
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid