Background: Substitution treatment has become a stable part of the addiction services system for drug users. In the beginning, it primarily reacted to healthcare complications related to intravenous substance use and was an alternative for those not able to keep an abstinence. It is proved that only pharmacotherapy is not enough intervention and that it is key to add counseling or therapy as it becomes similarly effective as abstinence-oriented treatment where we work on lifestyle changes in clients. Objective: Identification of effective factors leading to an increase in quality of life from the perspective of clients in substitution treatment in CADAS SANANIM z.ú. Methods: A semi-structured interview and a standardized WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire of the World Health Organization were used to obtain the required data. The descriptive method of thematic (focal) analysis was used to process data from the interviews, and data from the questionnaire was evaluated according to the instructions of the User's Guide of the Czech version of the WHO quality of life. Sample: The research participants consisted of 11 clients of the substitution program in CADAS SANANIM z.ú., who have been in treatment for at least 5 years and are included in the stabilization phase category. I contacted 15 clients, which I...

Pain is a significant health problem. Mu opioid receptor agonists are used clinically as analgesics, but their use is constrained by high abuse liability. Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) is a preclinical behavioral procedure that has been used to assess abuse potential of opioids, and drug-induced facilitation of ICSS is interpreted as an abuse-related effect. ICSS can also be used as a behavioral baseline to detect affective dimensions of pain. Specifically, pain-related depression of ICSS can model pain-related depression of behavior and mood, and drug-induced blockade of pain-related ICSS depression can serve as a measure of affective analgesia. This dissertation used mu agonists that vary in efficacy at the mu receptor (methadone> fentanyl> morphine> hydrocodone> buprenorphine> nalbuphine) and compared their effects on ICSS in the absence (phase one) or presence (phase 2) of pain. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were equipped with intracranial electrodes targeting the medial forebrain bundle and trained to lever press for brain stimulation. Different frequencies of stimulation maintained a frequency-dependent increase in ICSS rates, and permitted detection of both rate-increasing and rate-decreasing treatment effects. During phase 1, medium- and high-efficacy mu agonists produced initial rate-decreasing effects, followed by abuse-related rate-increasing effects at later time points. Repeated morphine administration produced tolerance to its own rate-decreasing effects, cross-tolerance to rate-decreasing effects of other mu agonists, and enhanced expression of rate-increasing effects. Low efficacy mu agonists only produced rate-increasing effects, which were enhanced after repeated morphine. These results suggest that previous opioid exposure increases expression of abuse-related facilitation of ICSS by mu agonists regardless of efficacy. During phase 2, intraperitoneal administration of lactic acid (1.8%) served as a noxious stimulus to depress ICSS. All mu agonists blocked acid-induced depression of ICSS at doses similar to those that facilitated ICSS in the absence of pain. A higher intensity noxious stimulus (5.6 % acid) produced further depression of ICSS and reduced the antinociceptive potency of both methadone and nalbuphine. Morphine antinociception was resistant to tolerance in the assay of acid-depressed ICSS. Overall, these results provide a basis for comparing determinants of abuse-related opioid effects in the absence of pain with their affective analgesic effects in the presence of pain.

Background: To assess the long-term course of the feasibility and safety of orally administered heroin [diacetylmorphine (DAM)] tablets in substitution treatment of severely addicted opioid users. Design: Open-label, prospective cohort study with 2 non-randomly assigned treatment arms: DAM tablets only (n = 128) or DAM tablets combined with injected DAM and/or other opioids (n = 237). The average duration of the observation period was 62 months. Study endpoints were the time to discharge from treatment and the number of serious adverse events. Results: Both patient groups had a higher than 70% retention rate after the first 48 months of treatment, with similar long-term retention rates (after 8 years both groups had retention over 50%). The physician-verified rate of serious adverse events was 0.01 events per application year among the exclusively oral substitution group (intention-to-treat analysis) during the last year of observation, and 0.005 events per application year in the other group. Conclusions: Because of their feasibility and safety over years, DAM tablets may be a valuable long-term therapeutic alternative. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Background: In many countries, the opioid agonists, buprenorphine and methadone, are licensed for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. Many short-term studies have been performed, but little is known about long-term effects. Therefore, this study described over 6 years (1) mortality, retention and abstinence rates and (2) changes in concomitant drug use and somatic and mental health. Methods: A prevalence sample of n = 2,694 maintenance patients, recruited from a nationally representative sample of n = 223 substitution doctors, was evaluated in a 6-year prospectivelongitudinal naturalistic study. At 72 months, n = 1,624 patients were assessed for outcome; 1,147 had full outcome data, 346 primary outcome data and 131 had died; 660 individuals were lost to follow-up. Results: The 6-year retention rate was 76.6%; the average mortality rate was 1.1%. During follow-up, 9.4% of patients became “abstinent” and 1.9% were referred for drug-free addiction treatment. Concomitant drug use decreased and somatic health status and social parameters improved. Conclusions: The study provides further evidence for the efficacy and safety of maintenance treatment with opioid agonists. In the long term, the number of opioid-free patients is low and most patients are more or less continuously under opioid maintenance therapy. Further implications are discussed.

Background: In many countries, buprenorphine and methadone are licensed for the maintenance treatment (MT) of opioid dependence. Despite many short-term studies, little is known about the long-term (12-month) effects of these treatments in different settings, i.e. primary care-based (PMC) and specialized substitution centers (SSCs). Objectives: To describe over a period of 12 months: (1) mortality, retention and abstinence rates; (2) changes in concomitant drug use, somatic and mental health; and (3) to explore differences between different types of provider settings. Methods: 12-Month prospective-longitudinal naturalistic study with four waves of assessment in a prevalence sample of N= 2694 maintenance patients, recruited from a nationally representative sample of N= 223 substitution physicians. Results: The 12-month retention rate was 75%; the mortality rate 1.1%. 4.1% of patients became “abstinent” during follow-up. 7% were referred to drug-free addiction treatment. Concomitant drug use decreased and somatic health status improved. No significant improvements were observed for mental health and quality of life. When controlling for initial severity, small PMC settings revealed better retention, abstinence and concomitant drug use rates. Conclusion: The study underlines the overall 12-month effectiveness of various forms of agonist MT. Findings reveal relatively high retention rates, low mortality rates, and improvements in most 12-month outcome domains, except for mental health and quality of life. PMC settings appear to be a good additional option to improve access to MTs.

Bakgrund: Personer med opioidberoende är till sin omfattning mer än 26 miljoner människor världen över. Läkemedelsassisterad rehabilitering av opioidberoende (LARO) i kombination med omvårdnad och psykosocial behandling är en effektiv behandlingsmetod vid opioidberoende. Målen med LARO-behandling är utöver att minska dödligheten att personer med opioidberoende ska få ökad psykisk och fysisk hälsa samt få ett socialt fungerande liv. Klinisk erfarenhet visar dock att det finns svårigheter med att kvarhålla personer i LARO-behandling, vilket ofta leder till att personer i stället avlider. Sjuksköterskan har ett ansvar att ge omvårdnad på ett personcentrerat tillvägagångssätt i samband med behandling och kunskap som en sjuksköterska besitter kan hjälpa till att förbättra vårdresultaten i en LARO-behandling. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att belysa hur vuxna patienter med opioidberoende upplever omvårdnad vid LARO-behandling (läkemedelsassisterad rehabilitering vid opioidberoende). Metod: En allmän litteraturöversikt genomfördes där resultatet baserades på nio vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats som inhämtats genom systematiska sökningar i databaserna PubMed och CHINAL. Data analyserades i enlighet med Fribergs analys bestående av fem steg. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier med sex tillhörande subkategorier. Huvudkategorierna var: Sjuksköterskan villkorar LARO-behandlingen, Vårdrelationen med sjuksköterskan och Utmaningar i tillgängligheten. Subkategorierna var: Begränsad delaktighet, Stigmatisering, Vikten av en god relation, Brister med informationen, Begränsad tillgänglighet och Avsaknaden av omvårdnadsutbud. Slutsats: Patienter med opioidberoende upplevde LARO-behandlingen som villkorad. Patienter upplevde bristande delaktighet gällande omvårdnaden. Upplevelse av stigmatisering kopplat till omvårdnaden framkom även. Patienter upplevde att de misstänkliggjordes efter flertalet år i behandling. Brister avseende tillgänglighet kopplat till LARO-behandlingen identifierades. Relationen till sjuksköterskan upplevdes vara en viktig del i behandlingen. Relationen skulle bidra till att bygga förtroende, reducera stigma och upplevas accepterande. Rådgivande samtal tillsammans med medicinering ansågs vara den viktigaste aspekten i behandlingen. / Background: People with substance use disorder are to its extent more than 26 million people worldwide. LARO treatment (drug-assisted rehabilitation in opioid dependence) for people with substance use disorder in combination with other nursing care and psychosocial treatment is an effective treatment for people with substance use disorder. The goals of LARO treatment are for people with opioid dependence to have increased mental and physical health, have a socially functioning life and a reduced mortality. However, clinical experience shows that there are difficulties in retaining people in LARO treatment, which often leads to people dying instead. The nurse has a responsibility to provide nursing in a person-centered approach. Knowledge that a nurse possesses can help improve care outcomes in a LARO treatment. Aim: The purpose of the study was to highlight how adult patients with opioid dependence experience nursing care during LARO treatment. Method: A literature review was conducted where the results were based on nine scientific articles with qualitative approaches obtained through systematic searches in the databases PubMed and CINAHL. The data was analyzed in accordance with Friberg's analysis that consists of five steps. Results: The analysis led to three main categories with six associated subcategories. The main categories were following: The nurse conditions the treatment, The care relationship and Accessibility challenges. The associated categories were: Limited participation, Stigma, The imprtance of a good relationship, Deficiencies with the information, Limited availability and Lack of nursing services. Conclusion: Patients with opioid dependence experienced LARO treatment as conditional and experienced a lack of participation. Experiences of stigma linked to nursing emerged. Deficiencies regarding accessibility linked to the LARO treatment were identified. The relationship with the nurse was perceived to be an important part of the treatment. The relationship would help build trust, reduce stigma, and be perceived as accepting. Counseling along with medication was considered the most important aspect of treatment.

No description available.

Background: To assess the long-term course of the feasibility and safety of orally administered heroin [diacetylmorphine (DAM)] tablets in substitution treatment of severely addicted opioid users. Design: Open-label, prospective cohort study with 2 non-randomly assigned treatment arms: DAM tablets only (n = 128) or DAM tablets combined with injected DAM and/or other opioids (n = 237). The average duration of the observation period was 62 months. Study endpoints were the time to discharge from treatment and the number of serious adverse events. Results: Both patient groups had a higher than 70% retention rate after the first 48 months of treatment, with similar long-term retention rates (after 8 years both groups had retention over 50%). The physician-verified rate of serious adverse events was 0.01 events per application year among the exclusively oral substitution group (intention-to-treat analysis) during the last year of observation, and 0.005 events per application year in the other group. Conclusions: Because of their feasibility and safety over years, DAM tablets may be a valuable long-term therapeutic alternative. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Heroin dependence, which is escalating within South Africa, has become a symbol of the social disorder of the times - associated with materialism, poverty, crime, the problems of a society in transition, the disadvantaged, and the inner cities. However, that is not to say that all those who misuse heroin develop a problem or become dependent. In reality, only a small minority of heroin users develop a dependence, but for those who do it can result in unpleasant and potentially terrifying experiences/consequences, that can often be extremely difficult to escape from. That is not to say that recovery from dependence to heroin is not possible. Indeed, contrary to the beliefs of many people, the reality is that many people do eventually recover. Despite the vast sums of money devoted to treatment intervention of heroin dependants in the South Africa and worldwide, the processes by which recovery occur remain fairly unclear. Moreover, relatively little is known about the contribution of interventions and processes in facilitating such recovery. The statistical and content analysis of the data revealed that one of the most important factors identified in allowing successful behaviour modification and promoting recovery was psychosocial and pharmacological intervention, which seemed to produce a range of positive effects that facilitated natural healing processes. However, a range of other factors alongside intervention were also important in promoting behaviour modification. This study has provided important information, from forty recovering heroin dependants themselves, on the many factors that are important in achieving abstinence, in allowing recovery to be maintained in the longer term, and in potentially allowing an eventual exit from heroin dependence. A number of difficulties encountered in intervention were also identified. The statistical findings of the study support the `maturing out' hypothesis of heroin dependence (c² = 16.841; r = 0.001; df = 3). Ethnicity, highest level of education, employment status, marital status, biological parents' marital status or whether biological parents were deceased or not did not relate to any of the identified behavioural indices associated with heroin dependence recovery. A framework for the development of a contextual heroin dependence recovery model is also discussed. / Psychology / (M.A.(Psychology))

Heroin dependence, which is escalating within South Africa, has become a symbol of the social disorder of the times - associated with materialism, poverty, crime, the problems of a society in transition, the disadvantaged, and the inner cities. However, that is not to say that all those who misuse heroin develop a problem or become dependent. In reality, only a small minority of heroin users develop a dependence, but for those who do it can result in unpleasant and potentially terrifying experiences/consequences, that can often be extremely difficult to escape from. That is not to say that recovery from dependence to heroin is not possible. Indeed, contrary to the beliefs of many people, the reality is that many people do eventually recover. Despite the vast sums of money devoted to treatment intervention of heroin dependants in the South Africa and worldwide, the processes by which recovery occur remain fairly unclear. Moreover, relatively little is known about the contribution of interventions and processes in facilitating such recovery. The statistical and content analysis of the data revealed that one of the most important factors identified in allowing successful behaviour modification and promoting recovery was psychosocial and pharmacological intervention, which seemed to produce a range of positive effects that facilitated natural healing processes. However, a range of other factors alongside intervention were also important in promoting behaviour modification. This study has provided important information, from forty recovering heroin dependants themselves, on the many factors that are important in achieving abstinence, in allowing recovery to be maintained in the longer term, and in potentially allowing an eventual exit from heroin dependence. A number of difficulties encountered in intervention were also identified. The statistical findings of the study support the `maturing out' hypothesis of heroin dependence (c² = 16.841; r = 0.001; df = 3). Ethnicity, highest level of education, employment status, marital status, biological parents' marital status or whether biological parents were deceased or not did not relate to any of the identified behavioural indices associated with heroin dependence recovery. A framework for the development of a contextual heroin dependence recovery model is also discussed. / Psychology / (M.A.(Psychology))