Substance Abuse
The latest information on addiction, alcoholism, opioids, psychotherapy, and more, drawn from across our primary care and specialty care areas. Sign up now for monthly e-mail alerts on new content.
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Drinking and College Don’t Mix
- June 1, 2009
- Steven Dubovsky, MD
- Psychiatry
Heavy drinking worsens academic performance, in part by disrupting students’ sleep schedules.
- Reviewing:
- Singleton RA Jr and Wolfson AR. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2009 May; 70:355
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Laws on Alcohol Availability Might Reduce Suicide Rates
- June 1, 2009
- Joel Yager, MD
- Psychiatry
If it works in Slovenia, could it work here? CME
- Reviewing:
- Pridemore WA and Snowden AJ. Am J Public Health 2009 May; 99:915
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Schizophrenia-Associated Violence and Comorbid Substance Abuse
- May 22, 2009
- Peter Roy-Byrne, MD
- Psychiatry
The risk for violence is small in the absence of substance abuse.
- Reviewing:
- Fazel S et al. JAMA 2009 May 20; 301:2016
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Is Any Amount of Prenatal Alcohol Consumption Safe?
- May 11, 2009
- Barbara Geller, MD
- Psychiatry
A community-based study and two animal studies show the detrimental effect of prenatal alcohol on development.
- Reviewing:
- Sayal K et al. Pediatrics 2009 Feb; 123:e289
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Intensive Efforts Could Improve Smoking-Cessation RateFree
- May 7, 2009
- Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
- General Medicine
Both outreach programs and the intense cessation programs affect the proportion of smokers who succeed in quitting. Interview
- Reviewing:
- Steinberg MB et al. Ann Intern Med 2009 Apr 7; 150:447
CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE WATCH
USPSTF Reaffirms Recommendations to Screen for Tobacco Use and to Intervene
- May 7, 2009
- Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
- General Medicine
For adults (and pregnant women especially) the benefits of smoking-cessation counseling far outweigh any harms.
- Reviewing:
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med 2009 Apr 21; 150:551
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Cocaine-Related Chest Pain: The Year AfterFree
- April 24, 2009
- Richard D. Zane, MD, FAAEM
- Emergency Medicine
During 1 year after an ED visit for low-risk cocaine-related chest pain, patients had a very low rate of MI but a high rate of repeat ED visits, often for cocaine-related chest pain.
- Reviewing:
- Cunningham R et al. Ann Emerg Med 2009 Mar; 53:310
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Benefits of a Housing Intervention for Chronically Homeless Alcoholics
- April 24, 2009
- John A. Marx, MD, FAAEM, FACEP
- Emergency Medicine
A housing intervention reduced use and costs of healthcare and public services; longer stays in housing were associated with greater benefits.
- Reviewing:
- Larimer ME et al. JAMA 2009 Apr 1; 301:1349
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Pregnant? Quitting Smoking Early MattersFree
- April 9, 2009
- Wendy S. Biggs, MD
- Women's Health
Rates of preterm delivery and small-for-gestational-age babies were similar in women who quit smoking before 15 weeks’ gestation and in nonsmokers. CME
- Reviewing:
- McCowan LME et al. BMJ 2009 Mar 26; 338:b1081
SUMMARY AND COMMENT
Do You Drink Because You’re Depressed, or Are You Depressed Because You Drink?
- April 6, 2009
- Steven Dubovsky, MD
- Psychiatry
Sophisticated statistical modeling of longitudinal data suggests that alcohol misuse causes depression more than depression causes alcohol misuse.
- Reviewing:
- Fergusson DM et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2009 Mar; 66:260
