Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Apr 2014
Multicenter StudyAlcohol use disorders among surgical patients: unplanned 30-days readmissions, length of hospital stay, excessive costs and mortality.
Alcohol use disorders (AUD) have been associated with an increased risk of unplanned hospital readmissions (URA). We analyzed in a sample of 87 Spanish Hospitals if surgical patients with AUD had a higher risk of URA and if among patients with URA, those with AUD had an excess length of hospital stay, higher hospital expenses and increased risk of mortality. ⋯ Among surgical patients, AUD increase the risk of URA, and among patients with URA, AUD heighten the risk of in-hospital death, and cause longer hospital stays and over expenditures.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Apr 2014
The global epidemiology and burden of psychostimulant dependence: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.
To estimate the global prevalence of cocaine and amphetamine dependence and the burden of disease attributable to these disorders. ⋯ Dependence upon psychostimulants is a substantial contributor to global disease burden; the contribution of cocaine and amphetamines to this burden varies dramatically by geographic region. There is a need to scale up evidence-based interventions to reduce this burden.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Apr 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialDoes beverage type and drinking context matter in an alcohol-related injury? Evidence from emergency department patients in Latin America.
Previous studies have already substantiated alcohol's causal role in injuries. Yet the role that alcoholic beverage preferences and the drinking context play in the risk for injury is still under-investigated. In this study, a cross-national comparison of the association between alcohol and injury focusing on beverage type preference and the drinking context is reported. ⋯ A similar beverage-specific association with alcohol-related injury was found across LAC countries, mainly attributed to beer consumption, and spirits drinkers seem to have a greater chance of becoming involved in injury events. Future prevention strategies should inform the public about harms from drinking associated with the context in which drinking takes place.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialTherapeutic infusions of ketamine: do the psychoactive effects matter?
Sub-anesthetic ketamine infusions may benefit a variety of psychiatric disorders, including addiction. Though ketamine engenders transient alterations in consciousness, it is not known whether these alterations influence efficacy. This analysis evaluates the mystical-type effects of ketamine, which may have therapeutic potential according to prior research, and assesses whether these effects mediate improvements in dependence-related deficits, 24h postinfusion. ⋯ These findings suggest that psychological mechanisms may be involved in some of the anti-addiction benefits resulting from ketamine. Future research can evaluate whether the psychoactive effects of ketamine influence improvements in larger samples.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisDoes urine drug abuse screening help for managing patients? A systematic review.
In the field of addiction, assessment of psychoactive substance use is a key element. Nevertheless, self-reports and clinical examination underestimate the use of psychoactive substances. The implementation of urine drug screening tests (UDS) should improve this assessment. While the diagnostic value of UDS is well demonstrated, the consequences of carrying out UDS on medical management have not been established. Our aim was to summarize the evidence pertaining to the efficacy of UDS for medical management. ⋯ Few studies, with poor quality, have assessed the value of UDS in managing patients using psychoactive substances; though with insufficiency to demonstrate the interest of carrying out UDS. Therefore, pragmatic intervention studies are necessary.