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...

For centuries opiate addiction has been a difficult health and social problem. The morbidity and mortality related to such addiction affect not only the individual but also bring disastrous effects to the affected families and their communities [1, 2]. Based on Quoting epidemiological data in social surveys done in the last decade, over 13 million opium addicts are living in different countries...

BACKGROUND The incidence of suicide is higher in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the general population. This prevalence rate is related to many factors including drug dependence. This study was conducted in people wounded during the Iran-Iraq war with PTSD, in order to compare the risk of suicide in those with and without drug and nicotine dependence. METHODS This...

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...