HHC-induced psychosis: a case series of psychotic illness triggered by a widely available semisynthetic cannabinoid.

Use of both cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids has been regularly linked to the development of psychotic illness. Thus, semisynthetic cannabinoids such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), which have a similar neurobiological profile to delta-9-THC, may also be expected to lead to psychotic illness. However, no such relationship has yet been reported in scientific literature. HHC is readily available online and in many vape shops in Ireland. Here, we present two cases of psychotic illness which appear to have been precipitated by use of legally purchased HHC and discuss its psychotogenic role and factors linked to its current widespread availability.

Approaches and reporting of alcohol and other drug testing for injured patients in hospital-based studies: A systematic review.

ISSUE: Hospital alcohol and/or other drug (AOD) testing is important for identifying AOD-related injuries; however, testing methods vary. This systematic review aimed to examine biological AOD testing methods from hospital-based studies of injured patients and quantify what proportion reported key information on those testing methods. APPROACH: Observational studies published in English from 2010 onwards involving biological AOD testing for injured patients presenting to hospital were included. Studies examining single injury causes were excluded. Extracted data included concentration thresholds for AOD detection (e.g., lower limits of detection, author-defined cut-offs), test type (e.g., immunoassay, breathalyser) and approach (e.g., routine, clinical discretion), timing of testing, sample type and the proportion of injured cases tested for AODs. KEY FINDINGS: Of 83 included studies, 76 measured alcohol and 37 other drugs. Forty-nine studies defined blood alcohol concentration thresholds (ranging from 0 to 0.1 g/100 mL). Seven studies defined concentration thresholds for other drugs. Testing approach was reported in 39/76 alcohol and 18/37 other drug studies. Sample type was commonly reported (alcohol: n = 69/76; other drugs: n = 28/37); alcohol was typically measured using blood (n = 60) and other drugs using urine (n = 20). Studies that reported the proportion of cases tested (alcohol: n = 53/76; other drugs: n = 28/37), reported that between 0% and 89% of cases were not tested for alcohol and 0% and 91% for other drugs. Timing of testing was often unreported (alcohol: n = 61; other drugs: n = 30). IMPLICATIONS AND CONCLUSION: Variation in AOD testing methods alongside incomplete reporting of those methods limits data comparability and interpretation. Standardised reporting of testing methods will assist AOD-related injury surveillance and prevention.

Blood alcohol concentration in the clinical laboratory: a narrative review of the preanalytical phase in diagnostic and forensic testing.

The analysis of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), a pivotal toxicological test, concerns acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) and driving under the influence (DUI). As such, BAC presents an organizational challenge for clinical laboratories, with unique complexities due to the need for forensic defensibility as part of the diagnostic process. Unfortunately, a significant number of scientific investigations dealing with the subject present discrepancies that make it difficult to identify optimal practices in sample collection, transportation, handling, and preparation. This review provides a systematic analysis of the preanalytical phase of BAC that aims to identify and explain the chemical, physiological, and pharmacological mechanisms underlying controllable operational factors. Nevertheless, it seeks evidence for the necessity to separate preanalytical processes for diagnostic and forensic BAC testing. In this regard, the main finding of this review is that no literature evidence supports the necessity to differentiate preanalytical procedures for AAI and DUI, except for the traceability throughout the chain of custody. In fact, adhering to correct preanalytical procedures provided by official bodies such as European federation of clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine for routine phlebotomy ensures both diagnostic accuracy and forensic defensibility of BAC. This is shown to depend on the capability of modern pre-evacuated sterile collection tubes to control major factors influencing BAC, namely non-enzymatic oxidation and microbial contamination. While certain restrictions become obsolete with such devices, as the use of sodium fluoride (NaF) for specific preservation of forensic BAC, this review reinforces the recommendation to use non-alcoholic disinfectants as a means to achieve "error-proof" procedures in challenging operational environments like the emergency department.

Implementing a Substance Use Screening Protocol in Rural Federally Qualified Health Centers.

INTRODUCTION: In 2018, nearly 20% of Americans aged 12 years and older reported using illicit substances, with higher rates in rural areas. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) provide health care to one in five rural Americans. However, estimates suggest that only 13.6% of patients in rural FQHCs receive substance use (SU) screening compared with 42.6% of patients in urban FQHCs. AIMS: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to improve patient quality and safety and meet Health Resources and Services Administration reporting requirements. These aims were achieved through the design and implementation of a new SU screening protocol in four FQHCs in rural Indiana. METHOD: Deming's plan-do-study-act model was used to implement QI interventions to increase SU screening rates. A new SU screening tool, the National Institute on Drug Abuse -Modified Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Testwas implemented, and staff were trained on its use. the screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment model was used as a guiding framework. Outcome measures included a comparison of SU screening rates from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020, as well a pretest-posttest designed to measure staff knowledge and attitudes regarding SU. RESULTS: Baseline SU screening rate in 2019 was 0.87%. This increased to 24.8% by March 2020. Additionally, posttest results demonstrated improvement from staff on all indices, and an approval rating of 77% of the new SU screening practices. CONCLUSIONS: This project demonstrated that a low-cost QI intervention can increase SU screening rates in rural FQHCs, as well as improve staff knowledge and attitudes regarding SU.

Drug Testing Practices and Policies of Labor and Delivery Units Across the Southeastern United States.

OBJECTIVE: To describe drug testing practices used in labor and delivery units in seven southeastern U.S. states (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), determine what risk factors prompt drug testing, and determine whether selective policies or factors that prompt testing differ based on hospital characteristics (type, size, or predominant payer source). DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive design. SETTING: Labor and delivery units in seven southeastern U.S. states. PARTICIPANTS: Nurse administrators of labor and delivery units (N = 49) who responded for their units. METHODS: We used a purposive sampling technique to construct a database of hospitals with obstetric services and e-mail addresses for nurse administrators. We created a 35-item survey to collect hospital characteristics and drug testing policy information. We distributed the survey to 291 nurse administrators. RESULTS: We received 49 responses (response rate = 16.8%). Respondents reported that 63% (31/49) of hospitals were not-for-profit, 87% (40/46) had Medicaid as the predominant payer source, 80% (37/46) had a formal perinatal drug testing policy, and 61% (30/49) used selective drug testing protocols. Current or past history of substance use was reported as the risk factor that most often prompted drug testing. We did not find any differences in hospital characteristics (type, size, or predominant payer source) that prompted testing. CONCLUSION: Most respondents reported that their labor and delivery units had a written drug testing policy and often used selective drug testing protocols. Drug testing protocols did not differ based on hospital type, size, or predominant payer source. Nurses have a role in implementing a best practice with unit-based drug testing.

Minors and young adult's hospitalizations after "chimique" consumption in Mayotte Island: Which substances are involved?

OBJECTIVES: Over the last 10 years, the use of an unknown drug called "chimique" has emerged, among adolescents and young adults in precarious situations in Mayotte Island. To date, the exact composition of "chimique" is still poorly documented, but seizures made on the Island at the same time indicated that it would be mainly composed of synthetic cannabinoids receptor agonists (SCRAs). The objective of this study was to identify which substances, among those consumed under the name of "chimique", leading to hospital admissions. METHODS: Between 1st march and 30th June 2019, all patients, over 14 years old, hospitalized in the emergency department of Mayotte hospital after use of "chimique" for which the physician required toxicological analysis were included. Blood samples and clinical data were recorded for each patient. Toxicological analyses were performed using high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/QTOF). RESULTS: Twelve patients were included: 11 males and 1 female. The mean age was 26 years (median age: 22). There were 2 minors. Clinical presentations varied, mainly psychiatric and neurologic disorders were observed. No death was reported. Toxicological analysis identified psychoactive substances such as THC and/or its metabolites (n=3) and MDMB-4en-PINCA (n=2). The other substances identified were mainly part of the patients' treatment. CONCLUSION: This is the first study conducted in the Indian Ocean confirming the presence of SCRAs in the "chimique". For a while, the consumption of SCRAs in France seemed to be of limited importance. However, their use has become important in the Indian Ocean since the spread of "chimique" in Mayotte. It continues to spread especially in Reunion Island since 2017 under the name of "chamane".

Consumo de drogas de abuso durante a gravidez pelo método de rastreamento oportunístico / Consumption of drugs of abuse during pregnancy analyzed by means of the opportunistic screening method / Consumo de drogas de abuso durante el embarazo analizado mediante el método de detección oportunista

RESUMO Objetivo: rastrear o consumo de drogas por gestantes em pré-natal de baixo risco, usuárias da atenção básica de saúde. Método: estudo transversal, desenvolvido em 2016, 2018 e 2020, em município do Paraná - Brasil. Rastreou-se o consumo de drogas de abuso com uso do ASSIST 3.1. Utilizou-se estatística descritiva, não paramétrica e coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Resultados: entrevistou-se 588 gestantes. Verificou-se uso atual de álcool, tabaco, maconha e cocaína durante a gestação e aumento progressivo no consumo destas substâncias, constatou-se correlações significativas entre o risco relacionado ao consumo das drogas de abuso entre si, nível de escolaridade, renda familiar, cor e religião. Conclusão: o consumo atual de uma das drogas foi correlacionado com as demais, revelando um perfil de usuárias com poliuso de substâncias, jovens, primigestas, casadas, sem residência própria, nível educacional médio, renda familiar de até dois salários mínimo, de cor preta e/ou parda, e católicas.

ABSTRACT Objective: to screen drug consumption by pregnant women undergoing low-risk prenatal care and who use Primary Health Care services. Method: a cross-sectional study developed in 2016, 2018 and 2020 in a municipality from Paraná, Brazil. Consumption of drugs of abuse was screened using ASSIST 3.1. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics was used, as well as Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: a total of 588 pregnant women were interviewed. Current use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and cocaine during pregnancy was verified, as well as a progressive increase in the consumption of these substances; significant correlations were found between the risk related to the consumption of drugs of abuse between them, schooling level, family income, skin color and religion. Conclusion: current consumption of one of the drugs was correlated with the others, revealing a profile of women with substance polyuse, young, primiparous, married, without their own house, medium schooling level, family income of up to two minimum wages, black- and/or brown-skinned, and catholic.

RESUMEN Objetivo: detectar el consumo de drogas en mujeres embarazadas que cursan atención prenatal de bajo riesgo y utilizan los servicios de Atención Primaria de la Salud. Método: estudio transversal desarrollado en los años 2016, 2018 y 2020 en un municipio de Paraná, Brasil. El consumo de drogas se detectó empleando ASSIST 3.1. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva y no paramétrica, además del coeficiente de Spearman. Resultados: se entrevistó a 588 mujeres embarazadas. Se verificó consumo actual de alcohol, tabaco, marihuana y cocaína durante el embarazo y un aumento progresivo en el uso de estas sustancias; se encontraron correlaciones significativas entre el riesgo relacionado con el consumo de drogas de abuso entre sí, nivel de estudios, ingreso familiar, color de piel y religión. Conclusión: se correlacionó el consumo actual de una de las drogas con las demás, revelando un perfil de usuarias con consumo de sustancias múltiples, jóvenes, primíparas, casadas, sin residencia propia, nivel de estudios medio, ingreso familiar de hasta dos salarios mínimos, de raza negra y/o morena, y católicas.

Identifying available addictive disorder screening tests validated in primary care: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders and non-substance addictive behaviors are major, growing health concerns. Efficient screening primary care settings encouraged but its widespread implementation is restricted without an appropriate screening approach for clinical practice or guidance for practitioners choose an appropriate screening test. This study aims to identify addictive disorder screening tests which are validated in primary care and suggest steps to help practitioners select the appropriate test. METHOD: A systematic review of the literature through Pubmed, PsycINFO and The Cochrane Library was performed from database inception to December 21, 2020. The search strategy included three research topics: screening, addictive disorders, and primary care. Selection criteria included published studies evaluating the validity of an addictive disorder screening test in primary care settings. RESULTS: 8638 papers were selected, and 50 studies were included. Seventeen questionnaires validated in primary care covered the main substance use disorders, but none screened for non-substance addictive behaviors. Tests such as ASSIST, S2BI, SUBS and TAPS screen for a variety of substance use disorders while others such as TICS and CAGE-AID only have a few questions to improve feasibility. However, some shorter tests had weaker psychometric properties. CONCLUSIONS: Seventeen addictive disorder screening tests validated in primary care are available. The feasibility and acceptability in primary care of the shorter tests needs to be assessed. A transversal screening test, adapted to the constraints of primary care, that enables clinicians to detect substance use disorders and non-substance addictive behaviors is needed.

Consumo de drogas de abuso durante a gravidez pelo método de rastreamento oportunístico / Consumption of drugs of abuse during pregnancy analyzed by means of the opportunistic screening method / Consumo de drogas de abuso durante el embarazo analizado mediante el método de detección oportunista

RESUMO Objetivo: rastrear o consumo de drogas por gestantes em pré-natal de baixo risco, usuárias da atenção básica de saúde. Método: estudo transversal, desenvolvido em 2016, 2018 e 2020, em município do Paraná - Brasil. Rastreou-se o consumo de drogas de abuso com uso do ASSIST 3.1. Utilizou-se estatística descritiva, não paramétrica e coeficiente de correlação de Spearman. Resultados: entrevistou-se 588 gestantes. Verificou-se uso atual de álcool, tabaco, maconha e cocaína durante a gestação e aumento progressivo no consumo destas substâncias, constatou-se correlações significativas entre o risco relacionado ao consumo das drogas de abuso entre si, nível de escolaridade, renda familiar, cor e religião. Conclusão: o consumo atual de uma das drogas foi correlacionado com as demais, revelando um perfil de usuárias com poliuso de substâncias, jovens, primigestas, casadas, sem residência própria, nível educacional médio, renda familiar de até dois salários mínimo, de cor preta e/ou parda, e católicas.

ABSTRACT Objective: to screen drug consumption by pregnant women undergoing low-risk prenatal care and who use Primary Health Care services. Method: a cross-sectional study developed in 2016, 2018 and 2020 in a municipality from Paraná, Brazil. Consumption of drugs of abuse was screened using ASSIST 3.1. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics was used, as well as Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: a total of 588 pregnant women were interviewed. Current use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and cocaine during pregnancy was verified, as well as a progressive increase in the consumption of these substances; significant correlations were found between the risk related to the consumption of drugs of abuse between them, schooling level, family income, skin color and religion. Conclusion: current consumption of one of the drugs was correlated with the others, revealing a profile of women with substance polyuse, young, primiparous, married, without their own house, medium schooling level, family income of up to two minimum wages, black- and/or brown-skinned, and catholic.

RESUMEN Objetivo: detectar el consumo de drogas en mujeres embarazadas que cursan atención prenatal de bajo riesgo y utilizan los servicios de Atención Primaria de la Salud. Método: estudio transversal desarrollado en los años 2016, 2018 y 2020 en un municipio de Paraná, Brasil. El consumo de drogas se detectó empleando ASSIST 3.1. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva y no paramétrica, además del coeficiente de Spearman. Resultados: se entrevistó a 588 mujeres embarazadas. Se verificó consumo actual de alcohol, tabaco, marihuana y cocaína durante el embarazo y un aumento progresivo en el uso de estas sustancias; se encontraron correlaciones significativas entre el riesgo relacionado con el consumo de drogas de abuso entre sí, nivel de estudios, ingreso familiar, color de piel y religión. Conclusión: se correlacionó el consumo actual de una de las drogas con las demás, revelando un perfil de usuarias con consumo de sustancias múltiples, jóvenes, primíparas, casadas, sin residencia propia, nivel de estudios medio, ingreso familiar de hasta dos salarios mínimos, de raza negra y/o morena, y católicas.

Positivity to Cocaine and/or Benzoylecgonine in Confirmation Analyses for On-Road Tests in Spain.

We are using real-life data in order to determine the prevalence of driving with the presence of cocaine and/or benzoylecgonine (BZE), their concentrations, and their use in combination with other drugs. This study assessed data on Spanish drivers with confirmed drug-positive results recorded by the Spanish National Traffic Agency from 2011-2016. Frequencies of positivity for cocaine and/or BZE and concentration of such substances were obtained. Comparisons and univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed. Drivers who tested positive for cocaine and/or BZE accounted for 48.59% of the total positive results for drugs. In positive cases for both cocaine and BZE, other substances were detected in 81.74%: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (68.19%), opioids (20.78%) and amphetamine-like substances (16.76%). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the frequency of cocaine and/or BZE positive cases decreased with age (OR:0.97) and were less likely among women (OR:0.63). Concentrations (ng/mL) of cocaine (249.30) and BZE (137.90) were higher when both substances were detected together than when detected alone. Positivity to cocaine represented an important proportion among Spanish drivers who tested positive for drugs, and polysubstance use was especially observed in more than 8 out of 10 positive cases for cocaine and/or BZE.

Assessment tools for problematic opioid use in palliative care: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Screening for problematic opioid use is increasingly recommended in patients receiving palliative care. AIM: To identify tools used to assess for the presence or risk of problematic opioid use in palliative care. DESIGN: Scoping review. DATA SOURCES: Bibliographic databases (inception to January 31, 2020), reference lists, and grey literature were searched to find primary studies reporting on adults receiving palliative care and prescription opioids to manage symptoms from advanced cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, or end-stage organ diseases; and included tools to assess for problematic opioid use. There were no restrictions based on study design, location, or language. RESULTS: We identified 42 observational studies (total 14,431 participants) published between 2009 and 2020 that used questionnaires (n = 32) and urine drug tests (n = 21) to assess for problematic opioid use in palliative care, primarily in US (n = 38) and outpatient palliative care settings (n = 36). The questionnaires were Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, and Eye-opener (CAGE, n = 8), CAGE-Adapted to Include Drugs (CAGE-AID, n = 6), Opioid Risk Tool (n = 9), Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP; n = 3), SOAPP-Revised (n = 2), and SOAPP-Short Form (n = 5). Only two studies' primary objectives were to evaluate a questionnaire's psychometric properties in patients receiving palliative care. There was wide variation in how urine drug tests were incorporated into palliative care; frequency of abnormal urine drug test results ranged from 8.6% to 70%. CONCLUSION: Given the dearth of studies using tools developed or validated specifically for patients receiving palliative care, further research is needed to inform clinical practice and policy regarding problematic opioid use in palliative care.

Establishing the protocols for the South Australian Emergency Department Admission Blood Psychoactive Testing (EDABPT) programme for drug surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: ED presentations because of illicit use of psychotropic drugs and pharmaceuticals result in significant medical harm and resource consumption. Patient assessment is complicated by the regular emergence of new psychoactive substances, difficulties associated with their identification and a lack of information about their effects. Here we report the protocol for the Emergency Department Admission Blood Psychoactive Testing (EDABPT) programme, an observational study utilising clinical data capture and definitive drug identification to assess the medical impact and patterns of illicit drug use in the community, and their geographic and temporal fluctuations. The study provides data to an early warning system targeting an improved public health response to emerging drugs of concern. METHODS: Enrolment of adult patients presenting with suspected illicit drug use occurs at four major EDs in a single urban setting. Clinical and demographic data are collected by treating clinicians. Blood samples are collected at presentation and frozen on site prior to transport to a specialised forensic facility for comprehensive toxicological screening. RESULTS: Results are fed back to clinicians and disseminated more broadly via an existing local early warning system. Targeted warnings and public health releases are instigated where heightened risk or harm is identified. CONCLUSION: The study pairs city-wide patient enrolment with analytically confirmed toxicology results to allow broad sampling and identification of illicit drugs causing medical harm. It provides a mechanism for the identification of new agents as they emerge in the community, delivers a relevant and reliable source of information for public health agencies and clinicians and supplements existing local early warning mechanisms.

Women's alcohol consumption in a Primary Health Care service / Consumo de alcohol de mujeres en un servicio de Atención Primaria de Salud / Consumo de álcool de mulheres em um serviço de Atenção Primária à Saúde

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify alcohol consumption patterns in people cared by a Primary Health Care service and verify the association between the patterns and the variables of the sample. Method: Our observational study used both the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test instrument and a questionnaire with socio-demographic, clinical, and behavioral questions for data collection. We carried out the descriptive and univariate analysis with Kendall and Kruskal-Wallis correlation tests. We introduced variables with p ≤ 0.2 values in the multiple logistic regression - Mann-Whitney test. Results: The sample of the study was constituted by 561 women. The analysis results indicated relevant influence for higher patterns of consumption: not having a partner, not having a religion, smoking and drug habits, and having arterial hypertension. Besides that, within each additional year in women's age, the alcohol consumption decreases. Conclusion: We endorsed data that female alcohol consumption is presenting a tendency to increase especially among younger women, this information is essential for the promotion of Primary Health Care.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Identificar el patrón del consumo de alcohol de usuarias de un servicio de Atención Primaria de Salud, examinando la asociación entre los patrones y las variables de la muestra. Método: Se trata de un estudio observacional que utilizó el Test de Identificación de Trastornos por Consumo de Alcohol y un cuestionario con preguntas sociodemográficas, clínicas y conductuales para la recogida de los datos. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo y univariado con las pruebas de correlación de Kendall y Kruskal-Wallis. Se introdujeron variables con valores de p≤0,2 en el modelo de regresión logística múltiple - Prueba de Mann-Whitney. Resultados: La muestra del estudio estaba formada por 561 mujeres. Los resultados del análisis señalan influencias relevantes en los patrones de consumo más elevados: no tener pareja, no tener religión, consumir tabaco y drogas y padecer hipertensión. Además, con cada año que aumenta la edad de la mujer, su patrón de consumo de alcohol disminuye. Conclusión: Se refuerzan los datos de que el consumo de alcohol tiende a aumentar en las mujeres, sobre todo en las más jóvenes, una información fundamental para los cuidados en la Atención Primaria de Salud.

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar o padrão de consumo de álcool de usuárias de um serviço de Atenção Primária à Saúde, verificando a associação entre padrões e variáveis da amostra. Método: Estudo observacional que utilizou para coleta de dados o instrumento Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test e questionário com questões sociodemográficas, clínicas e comportamentais. Realizou-se análise descritiva e univariada - teste de correlação Kendall e Kruskal-Wallis. Variáveis com valores de p≤0,2 foram introduzidas no modelo de regressão logística múltipla - teste de Mann-Whitney. Resultados: A amostra do estudo constituiu-se de 561 mulheres. Os resultados da análise apontam influência relevante para maiores padrões de consumo: não ter acompanhante, não ter religião, fazer uso de tabaco e de drogas e ter hipertensão arterial. Além disso, a cada ano acrescido na idade da mulher o seu padrão de consumo de álcool diminui. Conclusão: Reforçam-se dados de que o consumo de álcool feminino vem apresentando uma tendência ao crescimento especialmente entre as mais jovens, informação fundamental para a prestação de cuidados na Atenção Primária à Saúde.

Assessment of Co-Occurring Substance Use During Opiate Treatment Programs in the United States.

The effectiveness of opiate treatment programs (OTPs) can be significantly influenced by co-occurring substance use, yet there are no standardized guidelines for assessing the influence of co-occurring substance use on treatment outcomes. In this review, we aim to provide an overview on the status of the assessment of co-occurring substance use during participation in OTPs in the United States. We searched 4 databases-MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL)-from database inception to November 2018 to select relevant publications on OTPs that assessed participants' co-occurring substance use. We used a standardized protocol to extract study, intervention, and co-occurring substance use characteristics. Methodological quality was assessed using the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool. Of the 3,219 titles screened, 614 abstracts and 191 full-text original publications were assessed, leaving 85 eligible articles. Co-occurring substance use was most often assessed during opioid treatments using combined (pharmacological and behavioral) (n = 57 studies) and pharmacological (n = 25 studies) interventions. Cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, and benzodiazepines were frequently measured, while amphetamines and tobacco were rarely assessed. Great variation existed between studies in the timing and measurement of co-occurring substance use, as well as definitions for substances and polysubstance/polydrug use. Inconsistencies in the investigation of co-occurring substance use make comparison of results across studies challenging. Standardized measures and consensus on research on co-occurring substance use is needed to produce the evidence required to develop personalized treatment programs for persons using multiple substances and to inform best-practice guidelines for addressing polydrug use during participation in OTPs.

Guideline No. 405: Screening and Counselling for Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To establish national standards of care for screening and counselling pregnant women and women of child-bearing age about alcohol consumption and possible alcohol use disorder based on current best evidence. INTENDED USERS: Health care providers who care for pregnant women and women of child-bearing age. TARGET POPULATION: Pregnant women and women of child-bearing age and their families. EVIDENCE: Medline, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched for "alcohol use and pregnancy." The results were filtered for a publication date between 2010 and September 2018. The search terms were developed using Medical Subject Headings terms and keywords, including pre-pregnancy, pregnant, breastfeeding, lactation, female, women, preconception care, prenatal care, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, prenatal alcohol exposure, drinking behavior, alcohol abstinence, alcohol drinking, binge drinking, alcohol-related disorders, alcoholism, alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse, benzodiazepines, disulfiram, naltrexane, acamprosate, ondansetron, topiramate, cyanamide, calcium carbimide, alcohol deterrents, disease management, detoxification, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcohol counselling, harm reduction, pre-pregnancy care, prenatal care, incidence, prevalence, epidemiological monitoring, and brief intervention. Evidence was included from clinical trials, observational studies, reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, guidelines, and conference consensus. VALIDATION METHODS: The content and recommendations in this guideline were drafted and agreed upon by the authors. The Board of Directors of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada approved the final draft for publication. The quality of evidence was rated using the criteria described in the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology framework. BENEFITS, HARMS, COSTS: Implementation of the recommendations in these guidelines using validated screening tools and brief intervention approaches may increase obstetrical care provider recognition of alcohol consumption and problematic alcohol use among women of child-bearing age and those who are pregnant. It is anticipated that health care providers will become confident and competent in managing and supporting these women so they can achieve optimal health and pregnancy outcomes. SUMMARY STATEMENTS (GRADE RATINGS IN PARENTHESES): RECOMMENDATIONS (GRADE RATINGS IN PARENTHESES).

Violence against women and drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA): A review of the main drugs.

Sexual violence is a universal phenomenon without restriction to sex, age, ethnicity or social class that causes devastating effects in the physical and mental health spheres, in the short-term and long-term, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and greater susceptibility to psychiatric symptoms, especially depression. Some cases of sexual assault and rape are based on the use of so-called drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA), which cause victims' loss of consciousness and inability to defend, making them vulnerable to violence. Thus, this article aimed to review the literature on gender violence and the drugs used to facilitate sexual assault, addressing their mechanism of action and pharmacokinetics, as well as drug detection times in human body and types of forensic identification. It is understood that the knowledge of these drugs and their pharmacological and diagnostic mechanisms should be widely disseminated, especially about sensitivity tests and the time the drug remains in the body, which would validate the promotion of evidence to prove abuse, and, thus, being able to give a promising outcome to cases of aggression, which is extremely beneficial for women.

The Psychometric Properties of the Drug Abuse Screening Test.

BACKGROUND: Substance abuse is a critical problem in most countries, especially in developing ones. Early detection is the pre-requisite of early control, for which reliable and valid tools are required. In the present study, we aimed at measuring the psychometric properties of the 10-item Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10) in Iranian individuals. METHODS: After translation and back-translation of the questionnaire, 244 adults were recruited from Tehran Megacity, Iran, and completed the questionnaires. Participants were recruited by a multistage randomized cluster sampling method. Reliability was determined by Cronbach's alpha. Also, construct validity was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). FINDINGS: The internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the total score of the Persian version of DAST-10 was 0.93. EFA evoked only one factor for DAST-10. The CFA for 1-factor models for DAST-10 indicated an acceptable fit for the proposed models. CONCLUSION: The results prove desirable reliability and validity of the Persian version of the DAST which can be utilized as a screening instrument for drug abuse among Iranian adults.

Urine Screening for Opioid and Illicit Drugs in the Total Joint Arthroplasty Population.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have shown an increase in post-operative orthopaedic complications associated with pre-operative opioid use. It is, therefore, important to know if patients use opioids before scheduled surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine if urine drug screening (UDS) is an effective screening tool for detecting opioid and illicit drug use prior to joint arthroplasty (JA) procedures. METHODS: This retrospective chart review was performed with IRB approval on 166 out of 172 consecutive patients in a community-based practice. All the patients had a pre-operative UDS prior to primary or revision JA by a fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon between March 2016 and April 2017. Patient demographics documented opioid and illicit drug use, co-morbid diagnosis, and UDS results were collected from clinical charts. Statistical analysis was conducted using Pearson Chi-square, Fisher's exact, McNemar test, and t-tests with IBM SPSS Statistics, ver. 23. Significant differences were p < 0.05. RESULTS: Sixty-four of 166 patients (38.6%) tested positive for opioids. Among them, 55.0% (35/64) had no history of prescription opioid use. Significant differences were observed when comparing the test results of the UDS with the patient reported history of prescribed opioids (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: With a significant number of patients testing positive for opioids without evidence of a previous prescription, UDS may be beneficial for initial risk assessment for patients undergoing JA procedures.

Whether drug detection in urine and oral fluid is similar? A systematic review.

Urine has been a biological matrix of choice for drug screening, but recent advances in technology and the introduction of commercial oral fluid assays have effectively established oral fluid as a viable alternative matrix. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the sensitivity of oral fluid in detecting some illicit drugs compared to urine, and to compare the initial and final detection times of these drugs in both fluids. The electronic search in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science was carried out covering studies published from January 2003 and June 2019, in order to find all valid studies that detected drugs in oral fluid and urine in the same patient. Studies about illicit drugs, such as tetrahydrocannabinol, cocaine, amphetamines and illicit opioids, with fluids collection at the same day, controlled drug administration during the study, reported administration interval and time of collection were favored. Out of 2598 studies identified by electronic search, 7 studies were selected for qualitative analysis. Five were clinical trials and 2 were crossover trials. In total, 74 patients aged 20-52 years underwent a diagnostic examination (4 studies with tetrahydrocannabinol, 1 with methamphetamine, and 2 with cocaine) after drug administration. Illicit drug detection in oral fluid is similar to urine but oral fluid has a strong potential for the immediate detection of recent marijuana use compared to urine. In relation to cocaine and methamphetamine, the largest drugs detection window is obtained through urine analysis. Oral fluids cannot replace urine for most of the purposes of drug testing.

Promoting Reproducible Research for Characterizing Nonmedical Use of Medications Through Data Annotation: Description of a Twitter Corpus and Guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Social media data are being increasingly used for population-level health research because it provides near real-time access to large volumes of consumer-generated data. Recently, a number of studies have explored the possibility of using social media data, such as from Twitter, for monitoring prescription medication abuse. However, there is a paucity of annotated data or guidelines for data characterization that discuss how information related to abuse-prone medications is presented on Twitter. OBJECTIVE: This study discusses the creation of an annotated corpus suitable for training supervised classification algorithms for the automatic classification of medication abuse-related chatter. The annotation strategies used for improving interannotator agreement (IAA), a detailed annotation guideline, and machine learning experiments that illustrate the utility of the annotated corpus are also described. METHODS: We employed an iterative annotation strategy, with interannotator discussions held and updates made to the annotation guidelines at each iteration to improve IAA for the manual annotation task. Using the grounded theory approach, we first characterized tweets into fine-grained categories and then grouped them into 4 broad classes-abuse or misuse, personal consumption, mention, and unrelated. After the completion of manual annotations, we experimented with several machine learning algorithms to illustrate the utility of the corpus and generate baseline performance metrics for automatic classification on these data. RESULTS: Our final annotated set consisted of 16,443 tweets mentioning at least 20 abuse-prone medications including opioids, benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, central nervous system stimulants, and gamma-aminobutyric acid analogs. Our final overall IAA was 0.86 (Cohen kappa), which represents high agreement. The manual annotation process revealed the variety of ways in which prescription medication misuse or abuse is discussed on Twitter, including expressions indicating coingestion, nonmedical use, nonstandard route of intake, and consumption above the prescribed doses. Among machine learning classifiers, support vector machines obtained the highest automatic classification accuracy of 73.00% (95% CI 71.4-74.5) over the test set (n=3271). CONCLUSIONS: Our manual analysis and annotations of a large number of tweets have revealed types of information posted on Twitter about a set of abuse-prone prescription medications and their distributions. In the interests of reproducible and community-driven research, we have made our detailed annotation guidelines and the training data for the classification experiments publicly available, and the test data will be used in future shared tasks.