Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Effects of ibudilast on oxycodone-induced analgesia and subjective effects in opioid-dependent volunteers.
Opioid-induced glial activation is hypothesized to contribute to the development of tolerance to opioid-induced analgesia. This inpatient, double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject and between-groups pilot study investigated the dose-dependent effects of ibudilast, a glial cell modulator, on oxycodone-induced analgesia. Opioid-dependent volunteers were maintained on morphine (30mg, PO, QID) for two weeks and received placebo ibudilast (0mg, PO, BID) during the 1st week (days 1-7). ⋯ Oxycodone also increased subjective drug effect ratings associated with abuse liability in all groups during week 1 (p≤0.05); ibudilast did not consistently affect these ratings. These findings suggest that ibudilast may enhance opioid-induced analgesia. Investigating higher ibudilast doses may establish the utility of pharmacological modulation of glial activity to maximize the clinical use of opioids.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Intentions to quit tobacco smoking in 14 low- and middle-income countries based on the transtheoretical model.
Over 80% of the world's one billion tobacco smokers reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); therefore, it is important to understand factors that promote intention to quit smoking in these countries. This study evaluated factors associated with three stages of intention to quit tobacco smoking among adults in LMICs. ⋯ The results suggest that anti-smoking media campaigns and smoke-free policies may promote intention to quit smoking in LMICs. While these suggest the need for implementation of comprehensive anti-smoking campaigns and smoke-free policies, longitudinal studies are required to confirm these findings and to evaluate how intention to quit translates into quit attempts in LMICs.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Variation in receipt of pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorders across racial/ethnic groups: A national study in the U.S. Veterans Health Administration.
Pharmacologic treatment is recommended for alcohol use disorders (AUD), but most patients do not receive it. Although racial/ethnic minorities have greater AUD consequences than whites, whether AUD medication receipt varies across race/ethnicity is unknown. We evaluate this in a national sample. ⋯ In this national study of patients with AUD, blacks were less likely to receive AUD medications than whites. Future research is needed to identify why these disparities exist.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
Heroin and pharmaceutical opioid overdose events: Emergency medical response characteristics.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data may provide insight into opioid overdose incidence, clinical characteristics, and medical response. This analysis describes patient characteristics, clinical features, and EMS response to opioid overdoses, comparing heroin and pharmaceutical opioid (PO) overdoses, using a structured opioid overdose case criteria definition. ⋯ While heroin and PO events presented similarly, heroin-involved cases were more likely to receive naloxone and less likely to be intubated. Standardized case definitions and data documentation could aid opioid overdose surveillance as well as provide data for measuring the impact of professional and lay interventions.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Sep 2017
The Experimental Tobacco Marketplace II: Substitutability and sex effects in dual electronic cigarette and conventional cigarette users.
The aim of the current study was to evaluate tobacco product purchasing in the Experimental: Tobacco Marketplace (ETM) among male and female smokers who also use e-cigarettes. We hypothesized a high substitution profile for e-cigarettes and that males would purchase more Snus than females. ⋯ This study suggests that the user profile of cigarette smokers is associated with behavioral economic measures of alternative product substitution and indicates that the evaluation of nicotine replacement products should be considered for both males and females separately.