opioid substitution therapy
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2021 ◽  
pp. 009145092110589
Author(s):  
Josefine Skou Jakobsen ◽  
Malene Lindgaard Kloster ◽  
Louise Christensen ◽  
Katrine Schepelern Johansen ◽  
Nanna Kappel ◽  
...  

This article present results from a study of clients experiences of attending a substitution treatment clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark. The study is part of a research project about the everyday lives of marginalized drug users in Copenhagen, their risk environments and their access to formal and informal resources. Thirty-eight clients participated in structured interviews, covering topics concerning, drug use, income, housing, social relations, violence, use of health and social services. A risk environment/enabling environment framework was developed to analyze the data. The research shows that the methadone clinic give the clients access to different material, social and affective resources, but that access to resources often involve different trade-offs. Such trade-offs include accepting control or socializing with drug users to get access to substitution medicine. Some clients accept such trade-offs, others do not and choose find other ways to get resources, exposing themselves to potential harm. This means that the clinic can function as an enabling, constraining and a risky environment for different clients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Kudrina ◽  
Svetlana Puzhko ◽  
Kristian B. Filion ◽  
Genevieve Gore ◽  
Elena Paraskevopoulos ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The North American opioid crisis is driven by opioid-related mortality and morbidity, including opioid use-associated infections (OUAIs), resulting in a substantial burden for society. Users of legal and illegal opioids are at an increased risk of OUAIs compared to individuals not using opioids. As reported for hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), bacterial, fungal, and other infections, OUAIs transmission and acquisition risks may be modifiable. Several systematic reviews (SRs) synthetized data regarding interventions to prevent infections in persons using drugs (e.g., opioid substitution therapy, needle and syringes exchange programs, psycho-social interventions); however, their conclusions varied. Therefore, SR of published SRs is needed to synthesize the highest level of evidence on the scope and effectiveness of interventions to prevent OUAIs in people using opioids legally or illegally. Methods We will comprehensively search for SRs in the PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Epistemonikos, and Google Scholar databases from inception to November 2020. Data selection and extraction for each SR will be performed independently by two researchers, with disagreements resolved by consensus. All SRs regarding interventions with evaluated effectiveness to prevent OUAI in legal and/or illegal opioid users will be eligible. Risk of bias assessment will be performed using the AMSTAR2 tool. The results will be qualitatively synthesized, and a typology of interventions’ effectiveness with a statement on the strength of evidence for each category will be created. Discussion Our pilot search of PubMed resulted in 379 SRs analyzing the effectiveness of interventions to prevent HCV and HIV in persons who inject different types of drugs, including opioids. Of these 379 SRs, 8 evaluated primary studies where participants used opioids and would therefore be eligible for inclusion. The search results thus justify the application of SR of SRs approach. Comprehensive data on the scope and effectiveness of existing interventions to prevent OUAIs will help policy-makers to plan and implement preventive interventions and will assist clinicians in the guidance for their patients using opioids. Systematic review registration Registered in PROSPERO on 30 July 2020 (#195929).


Infection ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh McCaughan ◽  
Clark D. Russell ◽  
Dáire T. O’Shea

AbstractInfected deep vein thrombophlebitis (i-DVT) in people who inject drugs (PWID) is a clinically challenging but poorly characterised disease. We undertook a retrospective observational study of 70 PWID presenting acutely with i-DVT to improve the clinical and microbiological characterisation of this disease. i-DVT was frequently associated with bacteraemia (59.1% patients with blood cultures obtained), groin abscesses (in 34.3%; of which 54.2% required surgical drainage), and septic pulmonary emboli (38.6%) requiring anticoagulation. Network analysis identified a cluster of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms but lacking typical DVT symptoms, more likely to have septic pulmonary emboli. A microbiologic diagnosis was frequently achieved (70%). Causative pathogens were predominantly gram-positive (S. aureus and streptococci, especially anginosus group), whereas gram-negative pathogens were identified very infrequently (in 6.1% of microbiological diagnoses). This suggests routine empiric therapy against gram-negative bacteria, though commonly administered, is not required. High rates of clinical cure (88.6%) were observed despite the complex nature of infections and independently of the highly variable intravenous and total antimicrobial durations received. There exists a rationale to devise pragmatic approaches to implement novel individualised treatment plans utilising oral antimicrobial therapy for i-DVT. Despite frequent healthcare interactions, opportunities to address HCV treatment and opioid substitution therapy were frequently missed during these acute admissions.


2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nader Charkhgard ◽  
Emran Razaghi

: Testosterone is a fundamental biological drive for human survival. Evidence documents an association between the evolutionary suppression of testosterone and the civilization processes, especially their socialization and family colonization abilities, among early humans. Interestingly, opiates suppress testosterone as a side effect. However, in clinical practice, clients undergoing opioid substitution therapy have subnormal, normal, or even above-normal testosterone. This paper discusses a possibility indicating that opiates promoted civilization processes among early humans. We further suggest that modern humans might have inherited the positive impact of opiates on early humans as a biological propensity for using opioids. Some users may use opioids for self-medication to decrease their extraordinarily high testosterone levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Bagher Saberi Zafarghandi ◽  
Sahar Eshrati ◽  
Reza Arezoomandan ◽  
Marziyeh Farnia

Background: For decades, harm reduction programs for addiction have been started in Iranian prisons. The programs comprise methadone maintenance treatment, antiretroviral treatment, and other harm reduction programs implemented as a triangular clinic. Despite the lack of funding to provide mental health services, particularly for substance use and harm reduction in prisons of low- and middle-income countries, Iran provides well-developed services. Objectives: The study investigated the implementation and achievements of harm reduction programs in Sanandaj prison located in the center of Kurdistan Province, west of Iran. Methods: This was a qualitative cross-sectional study. We used various information sources such as a checklist and group discussions. The participants were chosen by the purposive sample method and included prison authorities and harm reduction service providers and recipients. The data were analyzed by content analysis. Results: The harm reduction programs included opioid substitution therapy, providing information and education, voluntary counseling and testing for blood-borne diseases, providing condoms, hepatitis C virus screening, and antiretroviral treatment. Following the implementation of the program, a significant decrease in violence, self-injury, illegal drug use and shared syringes, HIV-positive new comers, and no necessity for the needle and syringe program when starting methadone treatment was reported. Conclusions: Commitment to a strict ban on the entering of drugs to the prison is a reason for the use of high-risk methods of drug use and behaviors such as injection, self-injury, or violence. Sharing syringes and needles is a major cause of the transmission of HIV and hepatitis viruses among drug users. Harm reduction programs, especially methadone maintenance treatment and antiretroviral treatment, have reduced a large proportion of drug-related harms in prisons. Scaling up the programs and their extension to post-release treatment will greatly reduce the country's health costs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (09.1) ◽  
pp. 51S-57S
Author(s):  
Tetiana Fomenko ◽  
Anna Meteliuk ◽  
Larysa Korinchuk ◽  
Olga Denisiuk ◽  
Garry Aslanyan ◽  
...  

Introduction: Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is one of the pillars of harm reduction strategies for People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). It should be an integral part of tuberculosis (TB) care to increase the uptake, compliance and effectiveness of treatment and also curtail risk behaviors. We aimed to compare TB treatment outcomes in relation to OST among PWID in six regions of Ukraine. Methodology: A retrospective cohort study using routine programmatic data from centers offering integrated TB and OST (December 2016 – May 2020). OST involved use of methadone or buprenorphine. TB treatment outcomes were standardized. Results: Of 228 PWID (85% male) diagnosed with TB, 104 (46%) had drug-sensitive and 124 (64%) drug-resistant TB. The majority had pulmonary TB (95%), 64 (28%) were HCV-positive and 179 (78%) were HIV-positive, 91% of the latter were also on antiretroviral therapy. There were 114 (50%) PWID with TB on OST. For drug-sensitive TB (n=104), treatment success was significantly higher (61%) in those on adjunctive OST than those not on OST (42%, P<0.001). Similarly, for drug-resistant TB (n=124) treatment success was also significantly higher when individuals were on OST (43%) compared to when not on OST (26%, P<0.001). Conclusions: This operational research study shows that OST is associated with significantly improved treatment success in PWID and can contribute to achieving Universal Health Coverage and the WHO Flagship Initiative “Find.Treat.All. #End TB”. We advocate for the scale-up of this intervention in Ukraine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ararat Babayan ◽  
Caroline Schlaufer ◽  
Arrtem Uldanov

Abstract Why does a regime that is predominantly characterised by conservative ideology introduce opioid substitution therapy (OST), a liberal policy? This article applies the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to examine the introduction of OST in Belarus. Methodologically, the research draws on qualitative content analysis of drug policy documents and reports as well as on interviews. Results show how an increased HIV prevalence among injecting drug users opened a policy window in the problem stream. The increase in HIV cases could be used by a network of global and local policy entrepreneurs to frame OST as a public health policy instead of a drug policy measure. Findings suggest that, in nondemocratic regimes, global policy entrepreneurs can play a dominant role in introducing new policy ideas. However, the sustainability of the policy change remains questionable when acquiescence by key policymakers is lacking.


Author(s):  
Aaron G Lim ◽  
Adam Trickey ◽  
Laura H Thompson ◽  
Faran Emmanuel ◽  
Tahira E Reza ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Pakistan‘s explosive HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID) varies widely across cities. We evaluated possible drivers for these variations. Methods Multivariable regression analyses were undertaken using data from five national surveys among PWID (n=18,467; 2005-2017) to determine risk factors associated with variations in city-level HIV prevalence. A dynamic HIV model was used to estimate the population-attributable fraction (PAF; proportion of HIV infections prevented over 10-years when that risk factor is removed) of these risk factors to HIV transmission and impact on HIV incidence of reducing their prevalence. Results Regression analyses suggested city-level HIV prevalence is strongly associated with the prevalence of using professional injectors at last injection, heroin use in last month, and injecting 4+ times per day. Through calibrating a model to these associations, we estimate that the 10-year PAFs of using professional injectors, heroin use, and frequent injecting are 45.3% (95% Uncertainty Interval 4.3-79.7%), 45.9% (8.1-78.4%), and 22.2% (2.0-58.4%), respectively. Reducing to lowest city-level prevalences of using professional injectors (2.8%; median 89.9% reduction), heroin use (0.9%; median 91.2% reduction), and frequent injecting (0.1%; median 91.8% reduction) in 2020 reduces overall HIV incidence by 52.7% (6.1-82.0%), 53.0% (11.3-80.2%), and 28.1% (2.7-66.6%) over 10-years, respectively. Conclusions Interventions should focus on these risk factors to control Pakistan’s explosive HIV epidemic among PWID, including a concomitant expansion of high-coverage needle/syringe provision, opioid substitution therapy, and antiretroviral therapy.


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