On February 14, 2016, a patient with known addiction to oral opium and no occupational or other lead exposure was admitted to Loghman-Hakim Hospital and Poison Center (LHHPC) in Tehran, Iran, with abdominal pain, anemia, constipation, and a blood lead level (BLL) of 137 μg/dL (normal = <10 μg/dL). Over the next 8 months, approximately 3,000 oral opium users were evaluated at LHHPC, and found to...

BACKGROUND Stroke is the third cause of mortality and not only leads to dependency, which is a great social, individual and cultural problem, but also can affect the physiology, immune system and coagulation system such as plasma fibrinogen, and it may potentially increase the risk of stroke. This study investigated the relationship of opium dependency and stroke. METHODS This case- control s...

Background Studies have shown that Iran has a high rate of opiate abuse and the most prevalently used is opium. This study was aimed to evaluate risk factors in patients with acute opium intoxication who referred to Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2011. Methods A total number of 383 patients with acute opium overdose, who were referred to the Emergency Department of Loghman Hakim Hos...

BACKGROUND This study aimed at determining the drug abuse pattern and the frequency of high-risk behaviors among the clients of Methadone Maintenance Treatment Centers and Drop-in Centers in Shahroud County of Semnan Province. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, the data collection tool was a questionnaire including 10 general and 32 specific items about drug abuse pattern and high-risk be...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In addition to their major influence on human behavior, opium and opioids have been used for a long time as sedative and analgesic drugs. As from the 19th century, with the isolation of opium alkaloids and easy parenteral administration of these substances, there has been increased interest in the judicious medical use of opioids and in the analysis of social consequen...

Throughout history, opium has been used as a base for the opioid class of drugs used to suppress the central nervous system. Opium is a substance extracted from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.). Its consumption and medicinal application date back to antiquity. In the medieval period, Avicenna, a famous Persian scholar (980-1037 AD) described poppy under the entry Afion of his medical enc...

Opium has been cultivated in Afghanistan since 1100 A.D., although production has steadily increased since 1979. Currently, Afghanistan produces three-quarters of the global opium supply, with injection drug use and HIV currently following the opium trade route through Central Asia. Although systematic studies are lacking, heroin use appears to be on the rise in Afghanistan. The purpose of this...

Studies showed that one of the oldest and prevalent drugs used by Iranians is opium. Due to reduction in the age of myocardial infarction and overall mortality by using opium and potentially dangerous side effects, prevention programs are necessary, especially in patients admitted to the wards, orthopedics, and internal surgery to reduce the incidence of DVT complications. By taking into accoun...