BACKGROUND The increased mortality in HCV-infected individuals partly stems from viral damage to the liver and partly from risk-taking behaviours. We examined mortality in patients who cleared their HCV-infection, comparing it to that of the general population. We also addressed the question whether prognosis differed according to age, substance abuse (alcohol abuse and injection drug use) and ...

background: substance abuse is one of the most complicated social problems. understanding socio-demographic characteristics of those who abuse substances could help deal with this problem more efficiently. the main objective of this study was to determine socio-demographic characteristics associated with alcohol drinking, cigarettes smoking and drug abuse among a sample of male medical universi...

BACKGROUND Several aspects linked to social are involved in the onset of depressive feelings. We aimed to find out if social adaptability and substance abuse predict depression among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). METHODS We included 145 ESRD patients undergoing HD. Social adaptability was estimated by the Social Adaptability Index (SAI). Substance abuse...

Substance abuse is a global problem with geographical variations in patterns of abuse. Studies from substance abuse prevalent areas play a major role in understanding of factors predicting relapse. A cross sectional study was planned to asses various factors determining relapse in substance abusers. 40 patients of substance abuse relapse were compared with 40 abstinent subjects as controls. All...

The use and abuse of psychoactive substances are not unique to our country or century. People used hallucinogenic plants to achieve altered states of consciousness in prehistoric times, and psychoactive substances have been used in all eras and cultures. As Osler remarked, “The desire to take medicine is, perhaps, the great feature which distinguishes man from other animals.” The human cost of ...

Federal regulations, some state statutes, and company programs have created a position for physicians to serve as medical review officers and interpret urine drug test results. This article is intended to provide the medical review officer with an overview of commonly-tested drugs and factors that may affect analytical results. In addition, the sources of legitimate explanations for a positive ...

OBJECTIVE To describe trends in hospitalizations with a diagnosis of substance abuse among reproductive-age women from 1998-2003. METHODS Data were obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Hospitalizations with a diagnosis of substance abuse were categorized into subgroups by age, primary expected payer, substance-specific diagnoses, concomitance,...

The authors discuss the advisability of juvenile courts requiring urine testing for parents who severely maltreat (abuse and/or neglect) their children. While urine testing for substance abuse is not sufficient to ensure adequate treatment, it is important as part of the overall substance abuse treatment in a selected group of parents. An objective of this article is to offer specific urine tes...

This article discusses key studies linking intervention for co-occurring substance abuse and partner abuse. Findings are grouped into three areas: (a) the effect of addictions treatment on partner violence; (b) application of transtheoretical, motivational, and culturally focused approaches to improve engagement and prevent attrition; and (c) assessment-based matching of services. Finally, the ...