Time Of Drug Use Research Articles

Analysis of polypharmacy events and drug-drug interaction in COVID-19 therapy

Background: Polypharmacy is the use of five or more types of drugs in a therapy simultaneously. The use of polypharmacy therapy increases the potential for drug-drug interactions. In COVID-19 therapy, the use of varied antiviral and non-antiviral medications allow for increased polypharmacy and potential drug interactions. Objective: To determine the relationship between polypharmacy and drug-drug interactions in COVID-19 therapy. Method: This is an analytical observational study with retrospective data retrieval using secondary data sources. The sampling technique used purposive sampling with a total of 91 samples. Tracing potential drug interactions was reviewed through the Micromedex 2.0 application and the results obtained were analysed with the Spearman correlation analysis test. Result: The results of data obtained from non-polypharmacy events was 3.20% and polypharmacy events was 96.80%. The potential for drug interactions was at the Contraindicated category (3.78%), the Major Category (66.19%), the Moderate category (27.87%) and the Minor category (2.16%). The results from the test showed a very strong positive correlation between polypharmacy and potential drug interactions characterised by a p-value of 0.0001 and a correlation coefficient of 0.874. Conclusion: The higher the increase in polypharmacy, the higher the potential for drug interactions. Handling of drug interactions that occur can be given by giving a pause in the time of drug use, dose adjustment, and drug turnover.

Chiral pharmacokinetics of tetramisole stereoisomers-Enantioselective quantification of levamisole and dexamisole in serum samples from users of adulterated cocaine.

Phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole (PTHIT, tetramisole) is the most frequently used adulterant of cocaine and exists in the two enantiomeric forms levamsiole (S) and dexamisole (R). Existing studies show diverse fractions of samples containing enantiopure levamsiole, levamisole-enriched mixtures, and racemic tetramisole as adulterant. However, blood samples have never been enantioselectively tested for PTHIT. Because enantiomers are usually metabolized stereoselectively, chiral analysis of blood samples can help estimate the time of drug use, provided that a racemic substance is ingested. Therefore, an enantioselective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed using a chiral column. Validation of the method was carried out for methanolic substance samples as well as serum samples and showed satisfactory selectivity, sensitivity, linearity (0.05-100 ng/mL), precision, and accuracy; 151 cocaine samples seized in Germany between 2018 and 2021 were analyzed. Most (94%, n = 48) of the 51 PTHIT-positive samples contained racemic tetramsiole, whereas there were two samples containing levamisole-enriched mixtures and one sample containing nearly enantiopure levamisole. Furthermore, 157 cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine-positive forensic serum samples were tested with cocaine-positive samples showing the highest frequency of PTHIT detection (43%). All positive samples contained either dexamisole alone or (R)/(S)-concentration ratios >1 (1.05-70.6). Finally, a self-administration study was conducted with three subjects taking 10mg of racemic tetramisole each. Although peak concentrations and corresponding times did not differ significantly between the enantiomers, dexamisole showed significantly longer apparent elimination half-lives (7.02-10.0h) than levamisole (2.87-4.77 h). The resulting steadily increasing (R)/(S)-ratios can therefore be helpful in estimating the time of cocaine consumption.

PELAKSANAAN KONSELING OBAT OLEH APOTEKER DI APOTEK KABUPATEN BADUNG

Republic of Indonesia Health Minister Regulation No. 73 of 2016 states that counseling is one of the pharmaceutical services at the Pharmacy. This study aims to determine the implementation of drug counseling by Pharmacists to patients in the Pharmacy in accordance with Republic of Indonesia Health Minister Regulation No. 73 of 2016. This type of research is non experimental with cross sectional design. In this study the data was taken using a questionnaire via Google Form. Fill out the google form by the pharmacists in Badung Regency. The data obtained were analyzed and then the percentage was made. Based on the data obtained, as many as 100% of respondents had counseled patients with varying time periods. Respondents had counseled within 1-10 minutes. When providing counseling, as many as 55.55% of respondents asked that there were those who needed help, such as lack of time, place and knowledge. Provision of information in the implementation of counseling, namely how to use and store drugs (100%), time of drug use (88.89%), drug dosage and duration of drug use (77.78%), and drug side effects (66.67%). This is good enough to increase patient approval for taking the drug. However, counseling documentation and recording patient documentation is still not effective in its implementation due to various factors. In terms of the pharmacist's knowledge regarding the laws governing the performance of pharmaceutical personnel, 88.89% of respondents already knew that. Therefore, it is expected that pharmacists can carry out their duties properly in accordance with statutory regulations.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Predicts Higher Inhibitory Control in Patients With Substance Use Disorder

Impaired inhibitory control has been shown in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). Cardiorespiratory fitness has been described as a potential factor to improve inhibitory control; however, the benefits in individuals with SUD are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness with general and drug-specific inhibitory control in individuals with SUD. Sixty-two male participants under treatment for SUD performed a general and drug-specific inhibitory control test (go/no-go) and a cardiorespiratory fitness test. Cardiorespiratory fitness, age, and years of drug use were inversely associated with reaction time for both general and drug-specific inhibitory control. In addition, the regression models showed that cardiorespiratory fitness predicts general and drug-specific inhibitory control adjusted for age and time of drug use. However, cardiorespiratory fitness predicts equally both general and drug-specific inhibitory control. These findings suggest that increasing cardiorespiratory fitness could provide benefits in the inhibitory function of individuals with SUD.

Impact of time-varying cumulative bevacizumab exposures on survival: re-analysis of data from randomized clinical trial in patients with metastatic colo-rectal cancer

BackgroundAs cancer treatment, biotherapies can be as effective as chemotherapy while reducing the risk of secondary effects, so that they can be taken over longer periods than conventional chemotherapy. Thus, some trials aimed at assessing the benefit of maintaining biotherapies during chemotherapy-free intervals (CFI). For example, the recent PRODIGE9 trial assessed the effect of maintaining bevacizumab during CFI in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. However, its analysis was hindered by a small difference of exposure to the treatment between the randomized groups and by a large proportion of early drop outs, leading to a potentially unbalanced distribution of confounding factors among the trial completers. To address these limitations, we re-analyzed the PRODIGE9 data to assess the effects of different exposure metrics on all-cause mortality of patients with mCRC using methods originally developed for observational studies.MethodsTo account for the actual patterns of drug use by individual patients and for possible cumulative effects, we used five alternative time-varying exposure metrics: (i) cumulative dose, (ii) quantiles of the cumulative dose, (iii) standardized cumulative dose, (iv) Theoretical Blood Concentration (TBC), and (v) Weighted Cumulative Exposure (WCE). The last two metrics account for the timing of drug use. Treatment effects were estimated using adjusted Hazard Ratio from multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsAfter excluding 112 patients who died during the induction period, we analyzed data on 382 patients, among whom 320 (83.8%) died. All time-varying exposures improved substantially the model’s fit to data, relative to using only the time-invariant randomization group. All exposures indicated a protective effect for higher cumulative bevacizumab doses. The best-fitting WCE and TBC models accounted for both the cumulative effects and the different impact of doses taken at different times.ConclusionsAll time-varying analyses, regardless of the exposure metric used, consistently suggested protective effects of higher cumulative bevacizumab doses. However, the results may partly reflect the presence of a confusion bias. Complementing the main ITT analysis of maintenance trials with an analysis of potential cumulative effects of treatment actually taken can provide new insights, but the results must be interpreted with caution because they do not benefit from the randomization.Trial registrationclinicaltrials.gov, NCT00952029. Registered 8 August 2009.

Atmospheres of engagement within a German drug consumption room.

Drug consumption rooms directly attempt to intervene in and govern the place and time of drug use. Whilst the risk-reducing potentials of these interventions have been thoroughly evaluated, the consumption room literature offers fewer insights into the embodied, affective and situated dynamics that underscore service delivery. In this paper, we take up the notion of atmosphere to explore these dynamics in greater depth. Drawing on 12 months of ethnographic research in a German drug consumption room, we describe the manner in which atmospheres came to pervade and condition service encounters. More than simply providing texture to activities within the consumption room, we show how atmospheres gave rise to a distinct range of bodily capacities and therapeutic effects. Critically, these atmospheric affordances exceeded the risk-reducing objectives of the consumption room to encompass an emergent capacity to find repose, enact respite and foster modes of sociality and care. Our analysis further highlights the contextual contingencies through which the atmospheres of the consumption room emerged, including the efforts of both staff and clients to cultivate and control particular atmospheric qualities. We conclude by considering how closer attention to the atmospheric and affective dimensions of service delivery may challenge how consumption room interventions are enacted, valued and researched. This is to gesture towards a novel, atmospheric mode of harm reduction that has effects by transforming embodied potentials for both staff and clients.

GAMBARAN RESESI GINGIVA PADA PASIEN PENGGUNA NARKOBA (Penelitian)

Background. Drugs or addictive compounds used for specific cases are prescribed by physicians and doctors. However, the drugs being illegally misused can cause several health issues including oral health complications. Study shows that abusive drugs can result in periodontal problems which could lead to loss of attachment. Objectives. To assess the degree of gingival recession in drug rehabilitation patients at RSKO. Method. Thirty rehabilitation patients at RSKO Jakarta were observed in the distribution of gingival recession in anterior teeth over clinical photographs. The findings of gingival recession were grouped according to Miller's classification. Gingival recession was observed based on history of oral hygiene maintenance, type of drug, and length of time of drug use. Results. Based on Miller's classification, it was found that grade I gingival recession was 63% and grade II was 38% in patients with poor oral hygiene status. Grade III gingival recession was found in patients with deficiences oral hygiene status. Patients with a history of using mixed drugs had a higher risk of experiencing gingival recession (63%). Grade III gingival recession was mostly found in patients with a history of consuming more than one type of drug (60%), and had taken drugs for more than 5 years (80%). Conclusion. Gingival recession was found more in patients with a history of drug abuse and poor oral hygiene.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Moderates the Relation Between Years of Drug Use and Stress in Drug Abusers

Substance use disorders (SUD) have increased worldwide and is currently a major global issue. In SUD, stress is linked to drug-seeking behaviors and greater rates of relapse. Physical activity has been related with increased self-esteem, mood and reduced stress levels in SUD. However, it remains unclear whether the relation between the time of drug use over the years and stress might be under influence of cardiorespiratory capacity. PURPOSE: This study investigated whether cardiorespiratory fitness has a moderate function over the relation between years of drug use and stress levels. METHODS: Sixth-two male SUD individuals (34.17±8.82years; 24.62±2.91m/kg2) have participated in the study. We took a collection of measures in one visit including: (1) anthropometric measures of height and weight to compute BMI; (2) self-reported demographics and drug use history, including years of drug use, days of abstinence, and number of hospitalizations; (3) a questionnaire to measure negative emotional states; and (4) a shuttle run test to estimate the maximum consumption of oxygen (VO2max). For this study, we tested a moderation analysis using the Macro PROCESS plugin for SPSS (Model 1), in which the independent variable was the years of drug use, the dependent variable was stress levels and the moderator was VO2max. The moderation analysis was adjusted for age, days in abstinence, BMI and number of hospitalizations. RESULTS: It was found that VO2max moderates the relation between years of drug use and stress levels (β=-0.82, p=0.03, 95% confidence interval (-0.15 to -0.007). The conditional effect at each level of the moderator (one SD below the mean, at the mean and one SD above the mean) showed that for those individuals with lower VO2max the negative relation between years of drug use and stress was not significant (β=-0.23, p>0.05), for those with an average VO2max it was significant (β=-0.81, p=0.04) and for those with higher VO2max the relation was even more significant (β=-2.03, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: For those SUD individuals with an average and higher VO2max, the negative relation between years of drug use and stress is more pronounced. Therefore, fitness level seems to have a protective effect over stress in SUD individuals, which may minimize the chances of relapse and enhance the rehabilitation process.

Análise do equilíbrio corporal e aptidão física de indivíduos em tratamento para dependência química

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; O abuso de álcool e drogas pode ocasionar efeitos negativos nas habilidades motoras e capacidades coordenativas. Diversos estudos têm demonstrado a precariedade nos níveis de aptidão física em indivíduos dependentes químicos, sendo que variáveis da aptidão física e equilíbrio corporal são influenciados pelo consumo prolongado dessas substâncias mesmo após a cessação do uso. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar indicadores da aptidão física e equilíbrio corporal de indivíduos internados para tratamento de dependência química, relacionando os dados ao tempo de uso de drogas ou álcool. Foram analisados indicadores antropométricos, exibilidade, agilidade e equilíbrio de 46 indivíduos adultos (14 mulheres e 32 homens com 38,3 ± 12,9 anos), que também responderam uma anamnese. Utilizou-se estatística descritiva, teste t student, Mann Whitney e correlação de Spearman, adotando-se p ≤ 0,05. Os resultados obtidos demonstram maior prevalência de pacientes do sexo masculino, dependentes de múltiplas substâncias, baixo nível de escolaridade, tempo de consumo superior a 10 anos e que não praticavam atividade física regular previamente à internação. Quanto maior o tempo de uso, piores são os resultados nos testes de agilidade e equilíbrio, tanto com olhos abertos quanto com os olhos fechados. É possível concluir que tanto o avançar da idade quanto o maior tempo de dependência pioram o desempenho nas variáveis agilidade e equilíbrio corporal. Dessa forma, ressalta-se a importância em oferecer programas de atividade física que aprimorem aspectos da aptidão física relacionada à saúde de indivíduos internados para tratamento de dependência química, sobretudo para aqueles com maior tempo de uso de drogas e álcool.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Analysis of time of drug use according to needle and syringe program operating hours in Melbourne, Australia: Effects on individual-level needle and syringe coverage

BackgroundRestricted needle and syringe program (NSP) operating hours in Australia have been reported as a barrier to access for people who inject drugs (PWID). We explored the prevalence of drug use occurring outside NSP operating hours with a particular focus on its impacts on individual-level needle and syringe coverage. MethodsUsing data from 584 participants in a cohort of PWID in Melbourne, Australia, we analyzed time and day of drug use for heroin, methamphetamine and pharmaceutical opioids. We related this drug use to the typical operating times of Melbourne’s fixed-site NSPs, categorizing drug use as either “in-hours” or “out-of-hours”. We explored associations with out-of-hours drug use using a generalized linear mixed model of pooled longitudinal data. Results23% of heroin use and 50% of methamphetamine use occurred out-of-hours. In regression analysis, males and those injecting in public locations had significantly reduced odds of out-of-hours drug use. Those currently employed and those using methamphetamine (compared to heroin) had significantly increased odds of out-of-hours drug use. There was no significant association between individual-level needle and syringe coverage and hours of drug use. ConclusionsDeficiencies in individual-level needle and syringe coverage may not be due to restricted NSP operating hours. Instead, insufficient coverage may be the result of other factors in the lives of PWID or other NSP access difficulties. These preliminary results suggest improvements to coverage in Australia may not result from increased hours of NSP operation, but instead via improvements to client targeting.

EVALUASI STANDARD OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE PELAYANAN RESEP DI PUSKESMAS CIBUNGBULANG KABUPATEN BOGOR PERIODE MARET s/d APRIL 2018

Prescription care is an integral part of pharmaceutical care at Primary Health Facility. Evaluation of prescription care standard at Primary Health Facility Cibungbulang was done by comparing the implementation of prescription care in Primary Health Facility with prescription prescribing standard according to Permenkes No 74 of 2016 about standard of pharmaceutical care at Primary Health Facility. A descriptive observational study was conducted on 324 samples. Data were collected using an observation table. The results showed that the date of prescribing, dosage, quantity of drug, rules of procedure and technique of use, accuracy of dose, time of drug use, preparation / compounding, delivery was done well with percentage of 100%. While other components such as patient id, paraf doctor, drug form, availability, drug side effects, label or etiquette, the provision of drug information that has not met the Pharmaceutical Care Standard in Primary Health Facility.

Patterns of Drugs and Drug Metabolites Observed in Meconium: What Do They Mean?

Meconium drug testing is performed to detect potentially harmful drug exposures in a newborn. Interpretation of meconium drug testing results can be complicated based on the patterns and proportional concentrations of the drug(s) and/or drug metabolite(s) detected. The objective of this study was to analyze meconium drug testing patterns in a de-identified dataset from a national reference laboratory (n = 76,631) and in a subset of the data, wherein specimens originated at a single academic medical center for which detailed chart review was possible (n = 3635). Meconium testing was performed using 11 immunoassay-based drug screens. Specimens that were positive for one or more drug screens were reflexed to corresponding confirmation tests performed by gas chromatography or liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, targeted to identify and quantitate specific parent drug(s) and metabolite(s). The positivity rate was the highest for the cannabis metabolite 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (25.2%, n = 18,643), followed by opiates/oxycodone (23.2%, n = 17,778), amphetamine/methamphetamine (6.7%, n = 5134), cocaine metabolites (5.5%, n = 4205), methadone (5.3%, n = 4093), benzodiazepines (3.4%, n = 2603), barbiturates (1.1%, n = 834), propoxyphene (1.0%, n = 749), and phencyclidine (0.1%, n = 44). Based on documented pharmacy history, drugs administered to either the mother or newborn during the birth hospitalization were detected in meconium, providing evidence that drugs can be incorporated into meconium rapidly. Drugs administered directly to the newborn after birth were recovered in meconium as both parent drug and metabolites, providing evidence of neonatal metabolism. Overall, patterns observed in meconium exhibited many similarities to those patterns commonly reported with urine drug testing. Interpretation of meconium drug testing results requires comparison of results with clinical and analytical expectations, including maternal admissions to drug use, pharmacy history, recognized metabolic patterns for drugs of interest, cutoff concentrations, and other performance characteristics of the test. Concentrations of drug(s) and drug metabolites(s) may not reliably predict timing of drug use, extent of drug use, or frequency of drug exposures.

Development of a checklist of short-term and long-term psychological symptoms associated with ketamine use.

BackgroundKetamine is an increasingly popular drug of abuse in China but there is currently no method for classifying the psychological effects of ketamine in individuals with ketamine dependence.AimDevelop a scale that characterizes the acute and long-term psychological effects of ketamine use among persons with ketamine dependence.MethodsWe developed a preliminary symptom checklist with 35 dichotomous (‘yes’ or ‘no’) items about subjective feelings immediately after ketamine use and about perceived long-term effects of ketamine use that was administered to 187 inpatients with ketamine dependence recruited from two large hospitals in Guangzhou, China. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on a randomly selected half of thesample to reduce the items and to identify underlying constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the second half of the sample to assess the robustness of the identified factor structure.ResultsAmong the 35 symptoms, the most-reported acute effects were ‘floating or circling’ (94%), ‘euphoric when listening to rousing music’ (86%), and ‘feeling excited, talkative, and full of energy’ (67%). The mostreported long-term symptoms were ‘memory impairment’ (93%), ‘personality changes’ (86%), and ‘slowed reactions’ (81%). EFA resulted in a final 22-item scale best modelled by a four-factor model: two factors representing chronic symptoms (social withdrawal and sleep disturbances), one about acute psychoticlike symptoms, and one that combined acute drug-related euphoria and longer-term decreased libido. CFA showed that these 4 factors accounted for 50% of the total variance of the final 22-item scale and that the model fit was fair (Goodness of Fit Index, GIF=83.3%; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation, RMSEA=0.072).ConclusionA four-factor model including social withdrawal, sleep disturbance, psychotic-like symptoms, and euphoria at the time of drug use provides a fair description of the short-term and long-term psychological symptoms associated with ketamine use. Future work on the 22-item version of the scale with larger samples is needed to confirm the validity of this 4-factor structure, to assess the scale’s test-retest reliability, and to determine whether or not it can be useful in the differential diagnosis and monitoring of treatment of individuals with ketamine dependence.

Count Specification in Estimating the Time of Drug Use

Count Specification in Estimating the Time of Drug Use

Conséquences potentielles de la consommation de tabac, de cannabis et de cocaïne par la femme enceinte sur la grossesse, le nouveau-né et l’enfant : revue de littérature

Substance use has increased worldwide. Based on these data, we may think that substance use has also increased during pregnancy, but epidemiological data are scarce in this population. The potential consequences of tobacco, cocaine or cannabis use during pregnancy are a major public health concern. The combined use of different substances during pregnancy may have serious consequences on the pregnancy and on child development. In this paper, we will describe the potential consequences for the newborn, child and adolescent after being exposed to tobacco, cannabis and cocaine in utero. For this purpose, we will review all retrospective and prospective studies (in English and French) referenced in PubMed reporting on the somatic or psychiatric consequences of alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption by pregnant women on newborn and children. Consumption during pregnancy was assessed in these studies using simple questionnaires, biomarkers analysis or both. Generally speaking, these pregnancies are at high risk for both the mother and the foetus: for example, an increased risk of miscarriage or of reduced length of gestation, an increased risk of uterine apoplexy and placenta praevia, more premature births and/or hypotrophy were reported. The occurrence of a newborn's withdrawal syndrome may be misdiagnosed. Many consequences on child development may be observed such as growth disorders, learning or motor disorders, language disorders, cognitive disorders (attention, memory, executive functions), attention deficit disorders with impulsivity or with hyperactivity (ADHD), and memory disorders. The prevalence of depressive or anxiety disorders may also be increased in these children. The risk of addictive disorders or schizophrenia in children exposed in utero to illicit drugs or tobacco is still unknown. The combined use of different substances increases, consequently it is difficult to disentangle the consequences on child development of each of the drugs used during pregnancy owing to potential interactions between these drugs. The consequences on child development will also depend on the dose and on the time of drug use during pregnancy. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reported that 75% of the infants exposed in utero to one or more substances will present medical problems during childhood, as compared to only 27% of the non-exposed infants. However, the medical consequences are still a matter of controversies. Methodological biases, such as the use of different rating scales among studies, and the heterogeneity of the populations included are main limitations. Further studies are needed using larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods.

A case-control study on the causes of new HIV infection among heroin addicts attendees at the methadone maintenance treatment clinics

To explore the routes and factors associated with HIV new infection of heroin addicts who had been attending the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program. A 1 : 1 nested case-control study was implemented with the cases (new HIV infections) and controls (HIV negative) selected from the treatment cohort of China MMT clients. Questionnaire was developed to collect information on demographic characters, behaviours on drug use, sexual behaviour, daily dosage of methadone intake, adherence to MMT, and psychological problems. Univariate analysis and multivariate condition logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with HIV infection. 108 (54 paired) clients on MMT were recruited, with 76 males and 32 females. Among them, 95 were Han Chinese and 13 were minorities, with average time of drug use as 12.1 ± 5.0 years. Among 54 new HIV infections, 33 were infected through sharing needles, 12 were through sexual contact and 9 unidentified. Results from multivariate condition logistic regression indicated that having longer duration of heroin use before on MMT (More than 10 years vs. less than 10 years,OR = 20.9, 95% CI:1.62-269.34, P = 0.02), shared needles in the last 6 months (OR = 276.7, 95%CI:5.65-> 999.99, P < 0.01) were risk factors while better adherence (More than 0.5 vs. less than 0.5,OR = 0.07, 95%CI:0.42-0.87, P = 0.04) and living with families (OR = 0.002, 95% CI:0.001-0.94, P < 0.01) were protective factors. Sharing needles was the main route of HIV new infection among those clients that were on MMT. Factors as having received more support from both family and community, improvement of adherence to MMT, reducing the frequency of injection etc., could reduce the risk of HIV infection among those MMT clients.

Relationship between alcohol and occurrence of various offenses

Article history: Received August 25, 2013 Received in revised format 19 September 2013 Accepted 23 October 2013 Available online November 12 2013 Alcohol is the most prevalent abused drug in the world and brings out a large amount of medical expenses to the society. This paper presents an empirical investigation to devise preventive measures and identify the groups at risk. In this study, a descriptive study was conducted among people who were arrested by the police because of committing illegal actions and were suspected of alcohol usage were referred to the organization of forensic medicine. The studied variables include gender, age, state of affair, marital status, type of crime, the time of drug use, tranquillizer drugs and the times of psychiatrist visit. Out of 305 subjects, 204 (66.9%) cases had a positive respiratory test result and 101 (33.1%) were negative. The results showed that committing crimes due to quarrel and wrangling (34.3%) and being drunk in the public (29.7%) were prevalent among the people who used alcohol. Driving accidents also had 18% prevalence. 32.7% of the people who had a negative respiratory test result had committed crimes because of being drunk and 29.7% of them had quarrel and wrangling. The high rate of alcohol use in people who referred from the disciplinary office to the organization of forensic medicine demonstrated that it was necessary to devise a plan in order to improve a person's awareness of harmful alcohol use and to identify the vulnerable groups in the society. © 2014 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain stem evoked response audiometry of former drug users

Illicit drugs are known for their deleterious effects upon the central nervous system and more specifically for how they adversely affect hearing. ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze and compare the hearing complaints and the results of brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) of former drug user support group goers. MethodsThis is a cross-sectional non-experimental descriptive quantitative study. The sample consisted of 17 subjects divided by their preferred drug of use. Ten individuals were placed in the marijuana group (G1) and seven in the crack/cocaine group (G2). The subjects were further divided based on how long they had been using drugs: 1 to 5 years, 6 to 10 years, and over 15 years. They were interviewed, and assessed by pure tone audiometry, acoustic impedance tests, and BERA. ResultsNo statistically significant differences were found between G1 and G2 or time of drug use in absolute latencies and interpeak intervals. However, only five of the 17 individuals had BERA results with adequate results for their ages. ConclusionMarijuana and crack/cocaine may cause diffuse disorders in the brainstem and compromise the transmission of auditory stimuli regardless of how long these substances are used for.

Atropine use in childhood myopia treatment

AbstractPurpose To discuss the role of atropine use in childhood myopia treatment.Methods The analysis of the literature and studies of the subject.Results The prevelance of myopia the population in the United States, Europe and Australia is about 30‐40%, whreaes in some southern Asian countries is up to 80‐90%. Moreover, it was shown that this prevalence has been increasing in the recent 20 years. Although the pathogenesis of myopia is unknown, it is argued that, at least in the case of school myopia, environmental factors are of major imprtance, whrease genetic factors play secondary role. The role of atropine in the lowering the rate of myopia progression was analysed in recent 10 years in many studies, differing with the atropine concentration, studied group characteristics, the time of treatment and the the time of observation, etc. The lowering effect of atropine was proved, however, its effectiveness decreased with the time of drug use, and after the drug discontuinuation the effect was partially reversed. On the other hand, it is well‐known that atropine use is related to significant side‐effects, including mydriasis, cycloplegia, increased exposure to UV light. Moreover, some argue that results of the therapy, i.e. lowering of the magnitude of school myopia, cannot be be balanced by the problems and unknown longterm effects related to the therapy.Conclusion The atropine use in childhood myopia treatment remains controversial and possible benefits and weaknesses of the therapy should be carefully analysed.

Analysis of quality of life and its influencing factors of heroin dependent patients with methadone maintenance therapy in Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province

To investigate the quality of life of heroin dependent patients with methadone maintenance therapy and its influencing factors. Totally 462 heroin dependent patients who were receiving methadone maintenance therapy in Mangshi, Ruili, Longchuan, Yingjiang, Lianghe of Dehong prefecture, Yunnan province were randomly selected using proportional stratified sampling and interviewed with the WHO Quality of Life-BREF (QOL-BREF) in order to understand their quality of life in the fields of physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental function during 4 weeks ago before interviewing, and the influencing factors of the quality of life. Among the 462 patients, 451 patients (97.6%) were male and 11 (2.4%) were female. Their average age was (37.80 ± 9.13) years old; 145 patients (31.39%) unmarried, 270 patients (58.44%) were married; 35.93% (166/462) of patients had primary school education, 37.23% (172/462) of patients had senior high school education. The patients had a score of 54.11 ± 6.74 for total quality of life and well being and a score of 14.31 ± 2.23, 13.28 ± 1.79, 13.90 ± 2.52, 12.63 ± 1.77 for physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental function, respectively. The quality of life for physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental function of the group of patients which ages between 30 to 40, unmarried, high middle school and above education, length of drug addiction more than 10 years before receiving treatment, treatment duration less than 6 months, incoming from temporary job were with lower score for total quality of life and well being. The quality of life for physical, psychological was lower for those aged between 16 and 30 when becoming first time drug user, which scores were 14.29 ± 2.25 and 13.22 ± 1.84, respectively. The quality of life for physical, psychological, social relationships of the group of patients which injecting drug only or injecting drug with other manners before receiving treatment were lower, which scores were 13.92 ± 2.25, 13.08 ± 1.67, 13.25 ± 2.60 for injecting drug only and 13.67 ± 2.52, 13.43 ± 1.71, 13.80 ± 2.56 for injecting drug with other manners. Attending and keeping methadone maintenance therapy could improve the quality of life of heroin dependent patients. Age, marriage status, education, time of drug use, treatment duration may be the influential factors.