Showing papers on "Addiction medicine published in 1999"

Addiction and mental health.

Abstract: NAMI Austin has compiled these resources to serve only as general information. We do not guarantee that any service on the list is current or up-to-date. This list does not indicate an endorsement of any kind, and it does not represent all available community resources. Moreover, inclusion on this list does not indicate any type of relationship of any kind between NAMI Austin and the service provider. Please contact the service provider directly to learn more about available services.

Drug addiction and dental care.

Abstract: Patients who are addicted to drugs, or are being treated for drug addiction, present a variety of management issues when they attend for dental care. A number of factors are related to the treatment planning and clinical management. Dentists should be aware of these factors in order to manage these patients sensitively and effectively. Important management issues include medical problems associated with drug abuse, dental problems and how drug abuse and its subsequent treatment affect the dentition, behavioural disorders, pain management, and control of cross-infection. People who have recovered from chemical dependency to opiates have special needs, especially in pain management. Establishing a good pre-treatment rapport with the patient will assist the dentist in reducing the need for postoperative analgesics, and will encourage this group of patients to return and obtain needed dental care. The more dental practitioners know about types and patterns of drug abuse and recovery programmes, the more safely this group of patients with special needs can be managed.

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: Guidelines for management

Abstract: Clinically significant symptoms of withdrawal frequently follow the abrupt cessation of alcohol use in alcohol-dependent individuals. Given alcohol-dependence point prevalence rates of at least 10 to 20% in most medical settings, as many as 1 in 5 patients may require treatment for withdrawal symptoms. Recently developed guidelines from the American Society of Addiction Medicine utilised an appraisal of the quality and quantity of research available on pharmacological management of alcohol withdrawal. In light of these guidelines, along with recent advances in the understanding of the biological mechanisms of withdrawal, the procedures for treating patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal are discussed. Inpatient management protocols should administer benzodiazepines for mild to moderate and severe withdrawal symptoms utilising a standardised rating instrument and information from past withdrawal episodes to inform treatment decisions. A symptom-triggered dose schedule can be used in settings with trained staff; a gradual taper dosage regimen is appropriate elsewhere. Carbamazepine and valproic acid (sodium valproate) represent promising pharmacotherapeutic agents, although further research is needed. Outpatient detoxification is also discussed. With appropriate and aggressive treatment, morbidity from alcohol withdrawal can be minimised.

Effects of cannabis on the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems

Abstract: The Health Effects of Cannabis is a definitive reference text on the adverse, and also the potentially beneficial, effects of cannabis use Internationally recognized experts in the field contribute a wealth of information about the use and effects of Canada’s most widely used illicit drug The Health Effects of Cannabis will be of interest to addiction medicine specialists, educators, researchers, health program managers and policy-makers, and anyone else who wants up-to-date scientific information on cannabis and its effects

The homeless and sexual addiction

Abstract: Recovering alcoholics and drug addicts are beginning to realize that untreated sexual addiction can result in relapse. The subject is now becoming not so taboo among the recovering community. Many people are entering treatment specifically for sexual addiction, some after many years of recovery from other addictions. Even more promising are the people who are entering treatment for sexual addiction as their first treatment experience. This tells us that in the last decade, 12-step groups, such as SLAA (Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous), SA (Sexaholics Anonymous), and so on, combined with the research and publications of individuals such as Patrick Games, not only are becoming noticed but also have made a significant impact on the opinions of doctors, therapists, and counselors alike. Even though we have made significant strides in this area, we have missed a segment of the recovering community: individuals who are homeless, who are coming from the criminal justice system, or who have had multiple t...

Perceptions and reported practices of osteopathic physicians in diagnosing and treating addiction.

Abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and reported practices of osteopathic physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of addiction. Copies of survey questions were sent to the 344 members of the West Virginia Osteopathic Society. A total of 176 (51.2%) physicians responded; of these responses, 166 surveys were used for analysis. Respondents included 130 practicing physicians and 36 physicians in internship or residency training programs. Of those responding, 133 were men and 33 were women, and ages ranged from 24 to 81 years with a mean of 41.6 years. Respondents who were graduates of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine numbered 132 (79.5%), and 99 (59.6%) were in family practice. Characteristics most commonly attributed to addiction were a chronic nature and psychological or physical dependence. More than half of the test subjects did not consider addiction to be a primary disease independent of other factors or psychiatric conditions. Respondents reported a mean addiction prevalence of 20.4%, with the most common substances reported as tobacco, alcohol, and benzodiazapines, respectively. Individual prevalence reports varied from 0% to 95% (SD +/- 20.4%). The most commonly used diagnostic tools were the CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener) test, DSM III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition, revised) or DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition) criteria, and quantity and frequency questions. Medical sequelae such as jaundice or emphysema were the most likely reasons for the respondents to address a substance abuse problem. For referral resources, respondents were most likely to use inpatient or outpatient treatment. A mean success rate of 27.7% was reported by the 133 physicians responding. The wide variance in reported prevalence and the low success rate reported in comparison to that demonstrated in published treatment studies indicate that there is a need for further education of both physicians in training and those presently in practice. Medical sequelae are frequently irreversible signs of late-stage addiction, and physicians should be urged to include such tools as the CAGE test in each regular physical to facilitate earlier intervention.

Physician Health Research Conference (Estes Park, Colorado—September 15-17, 1996): Progress Report One Year Later

Abstract: The 1996 Physician Health Research Conference was the first conference to focus exclusively on research issues and methods for impaired physicians The conference was initiated by James Shore, MD, professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and superintendent of the Colorado Psychiatric Hospital, and Stephen Dilts, MD, PhD, medical director of the Colorado Physician Health Program and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center Forty participants represented a wide range of national organizations The conference was supported by contributions from the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, Colorado Physician Health Program, Colorado Physician Insurance Program, and the Department of Psychiatry and Colorado Psychiatric Hospital at the Health Sciences Center In addition, the conference was cosponsored by the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the Federation of State Physician Health Programs This paper summarizes the formal presentations of the conference

Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy: advocacy for an effective drug policy.

Abstract: The founders of the PLNDP envisioned an active and committed group willing to tackle the potentially controversial area of national drug policy. The group already initiated a serious national debate about drug policy, inside and outside of the medical profession. Several national professional societies moved beyond their existing policies to embrace components of the PLNDP initiative. The group meets again in the summer of 1999 to share goals and articulate the next steps in research and advocacy. This meeting invites leaders in law, the enforcement community, legislators, community coalition leaders, and experts in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry. PLNDP leaders expect that the subsequent coalitions will affect the course of discussion about the nation's drug policy far into the future.

Advocating for Women in the Criminal Justice and Addiction Treatment Systems.

Abstract: Currently, women represent 30 percent of the drug-abusing population but are entering the prison system at a rate two times that of men. How can practitioners meet the pressing needs of offender women in treatment, prisons, and jails through the 1990s and the millennium? The correctional environment poses special advocacy challenges. The role of advocate can no longer be performed by any single entity. As advocates for quality service delivery, counselors and providers of care must collaborate with clients and others advocating for changes in public policy. Advocacy involves clients, their families, and the community. This paper discusses advocacy and empowerment as ways to improve an incarcerated woman's life. Eleven critical issues concerning advocating for change in public policy are listed. Advocates are encouraged to inform the public and legislators about the problems related to addiction treatment for incarcerated women and about appropriate solutions. (Contains 3 references.) (MKA) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.