Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Opioids

Opioids are a class of analgesic compounds, derived from the opium poppy or produced semi-synthetically and synthetically, that relieve pain by binding to mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Receptor activation inhibits the transmission of nociceptive signals and modu…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 10 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 33× across the literature 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Opioids are a class of analgesic compounds, derived from the opium poppy or produced semi-synthetically and synthetically, that relieve pain by binding to mu, kappa, and delta opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Receptor activation inhibits the transmission of nociceptive signals and modulates the affective experience of pain, while also producing sedation, respiratory depression, and reward effects. In anesthesia and perioperative medicine, opioids are foundational agents for managing moderate-to-severe acute pain, intraoperative analgesia, and postoperative recovery, including after procedures such as mastectomy where effective control improves outcomes. The body's own endogenous opioid peptides participate in physiological analgesia, and non-pharmacological interventions that stimulate their release, such as music-based approaches, are studied as adjuncts in chronic pain. Clinically, opioids vary in potency, receptor selectivity, and duration, allowing tailored regimens; their use is often guided by analgesic dosing strategies, pain-trend monitoring, and multimodal regimens that combine them with non-opioid analgesics and anti-inflammatory agents to reduce required doses. Because tolerance, physical dependence, and the risk of misuse and overdose accompany their benefits, careful patient selection, titration, monitoring, and consideration of alternatives are essential. Research continues into novel analgesics and adjuvant agents that preserve pain relief while limiting opioid-related harms.

Research published in this journal

10 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 10 articles above have been cited 33 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Opioids, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in International Journal of Anesthesia.

Journal editorial board
John Bebawy · United States Pradipta Bhakta · Ireland Mainul Haque · United Kingdom

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.