Motivation and context of concurrent stimulant and opioid use among persons who use drugs in the rural United States: a multi-site qualitative inquiry.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, stimulant use has increased among persons who use opioids in the rural U.S., leading to high rates of overdose and death. We sought to understand motivations and contexts for stimulant use among persons who use opioids in a large, geographically diverse sample of persons who use drugs (PWUD) in the rural settings. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with PWUD at 8 U.S. sites spanning 10 states and 65 counties. Content areas included general substance use, injection drug use, changes in drug use, and harm reduction practices. We used an iterative open-coding process to comprehensively itemize and categorize content shared by participants related to concurrent use. RESULTS: We interviewed 349 PWUD (64% male, mean age 36). Of those discussing current use of stimulants in the context of opioid use (n = 137, 39%), the stimulant most used was methamphetamine (78%) followed by cocaine/crack (26%). Motivations for co-use included: 1) change in drug markets and cost considerations; 2) recreational goals, e.g., seeking stronger effects after heightened opioid tolerance; 3) practical goals, such as a desire to balance or alleviate the effects of the other drug, including the use of stimulants to avoid/reverse opioid overdose, and/or control symptoms of opioid withdrawal; and 4) functional goals, such as being simultaneously energized and pain-free in order to remain productive for employment. CONCLUSION: In a rural U.S. cohort of PWUD, use of both stimulants and opioids was highly prevalent. Reasons for dual use found in the rural context compared to urban studies included changes in drug availability, functional/productivity goals, and the use of methamphetamine to offset opioid overdose. Education efforts and harm reduction services and treatment, such as access to naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and accessible drug treatment for combined opioid and stimulant use, are urgently needed in the rural U.S. to reduce overdose and other adverse outcomes.

The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infections with today's treatment paradigm - volume 3.

The total number, morbidity and mortality attributed to viraemic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections change over time making it difficult to compare reported estimates from different years. Models were developed for 15 countries to quantify and characterize the viraemic population and forecast the changes in the infected population and the corresponding disease burden from 2014 to 2030. With the exception of Iceland, Iran, Latvia and Pakistan, the total number of viraemic HCV infections is expected to decline from 2014 to 2030, but the associated morbidity and mortality are expected to increase in all countries except for Japan and South Korea. In the latter two countries, mortality due to an ageing population will drive down prevalence, morbidity and mortality. On the other hand, both countries have already experienced a rapid increase in HCV-related mortality and morbidity. HCV-related morbidity and mortality are projected to increase between 2014 and 2030 in all other countries as result of an ageing HCV-infected population. Thus, although the total number of HCV countries is expected to decline in most countries studied, the associated disease burden is expected to increase. The current treatment paradigm is inadequate if large reductions in HCV-related morbidity and mortality are to be achieved.

Field reversed configuration confinement enhancement through edge biasing and neutral beam injection.

Field reversed configurations (FRCs) with high confinement are obtained in the C-2 device by combining plasma gun edge biasing and neutral beam injection. The plasma gun creates an inward radial electric field that counters the usual FRC spin-up. The n = 2 rotational instability is stabilized without applying quadrupole magnetic fields. The FRCs are nearly axisymmetric, which enables fast ion confinement. The plasma gun also produces E × B shear in the FRC edge layer, which may explain the observed improved particle transport. The FRC confinement times are improved by factors 2 to 4, and the plasma lifetimes are extended from 1 to up to 4 ms.

A prospective review of the use of ketamine to facilitate endotracheal intubation in the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) setting.

INTRODUCTION: Ketamine is a dissociative agent used for sedation and intubation in various clinical settings. Despite its proven haemodynamic safety, ketamine has not been widely used in prehospital medicine. This study examined the use of ketamine in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled all patients transported by a single HEMS program in whom ketamine was used to facilitate intubation. Data were collected using standard forms by two independent trained research staff. Demographics, medical condition, intubation conditions, vital signs (pre and post drug administration) and complications were recorded. Proportions, medians with IQR, change scores and CIs are reported; differences were compared using paired t tests. RESULTS: During the 2-year study period, 71 patients received ketamine to facilitate endotracheal intubation. Ketamine was used most often in men (52 (73%)), and the median age was 49 years (IQR: 31, 69). Most patients were adults (70 (99%)) with medical illnesses (42 (59%)); 37 (52%) intubations were performed at the sending hospital, and 30 (42%) were performed on scene. A paramedic performed the intubation in 58 cases (82%). The median ketamine dose was 80 mg (IQR: 60, 100; ~ 1mg/kg); 53 (75%) patients also received a paralytic agent. Mean arterial pressure (2.3 mmHg; 95% CI: -8.0 to 3.3) and heart rate (0.45 beats/min, 95% CI: -4.9 to 4.0) changes failed to reach statistical or clinical significance. No differences were found between patients with suspected concomitant head injury and other patients with respect to ketamine dose, changes in vital signs and complications. Complications included: one (1.4%) interstitial IV, five (7%) failed intubations, five (7%) hypotension and four (6%) hypertension episodes, one (1%) bradycardia, two (3%) tachycardia and five (7%) deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine is an effective agent in facilitating intubation in a HEMS environment. Complications are similar to use in the controlled Emergency Department setting.

Psychological and educational interventions for atopic eczema in children.

BACKGROUND: Psychological and educational interventions have been used as an adjunct to conventional therapy for children with atopic eczema to enhance the effectiveness of topical therapy. There have been no relevant systematic reviews applicable to children. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of psychological and educational interventions in changing outcomes for children with atopic eczema. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register (to September 2004), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2005), MEDLINE (from 1966-2005), EMBASE (from 1980 to week 3, 2005 ), PsycINFO (from 1872 to week 1, 2005). On-line: National Research Register, Meta-register of Controlled Trials, ZETOC alerts, SIGLE (August 2005). SELECTION CRITERIA: RCTs of psychological or educational interventions, or both, used to manage children with atopic eczema. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed trial quality and extracted data. A lack of comparable data prevented data synthesis. MAIN RESULTS: Five RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Some included studies required clearer reporting of trial procedures. Rigorous established outcome measures were not always used. Interventions described in all 5 RCTs were adjuncts to conventional therapy. Four focused on intervention directed towards the parents; data synthesis was not possible. Psychological interventions remain virtually unevaluated by studies of robust design; the only included study examined the effect of relaxation techniques (hypnotherapy and biofeedback) on severity. Three educational studies identified significant improvements in disease severity between intervention groups. A recent German trial evaluated long term outcomes and found significant improvements in both disease severity (3 months to 7 years, p=0.0002, 8 to 12 years, p=0.003, 13 to 18 years, p=0.0001) and parental quality of life (3 months to 7 years, p=0.0001, 8 to 12 years p=0.002), for children with atopic eczema. One study found video-based education more effective in improving severity than direct education and the control (discussion) (p<0.001). The single psychological study found relaxation techniques improved clinical severity as compared to the control at 20 weeks (t=2.13) but this was of borderline significance (p=0.042). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: A lack of rigorously designed trials (excluding one recent German study) provides only limited evidence of the effectiveness of educational and psychological interventions in helping to manage the condition of children with atopic eczema. Evidence from included studies and also adult studies indicates that different service delivery models (multi-professional eczema school and nurse-led clinics) require further and comparative evaluation to examine their cost-effectiveness and suitability for different health systems.

Measuring autonomy in disabled people: Validation of a new scale in a UK population.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity and reliability of an English version of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy Questionnaire (IPA). The original Dutch IPA has been shown to load onto five factors. DESIGN: A validation study. SETTING: Outpatients clinics and people's homes. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and thirteen people with multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, spinal cord injury, and general practice attendees, stratified by level of disability (median age 54, 42% male, 58% female). INCLUSION CRITERIA: English as first language, aged 18-75, Mental Status Questionnaire score >6. INTERVENTIONS: Self- and interviewer-administered outcome measures. MAIN MEASURES: IPA, including one new item (66 participants completed the IPA on a second occasion). OTHER MEASURES: Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), London Handicap Scale, three domains of the Functional Limitations Profile (FLP): household management, social integration, emotion. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the IPA (Normal Fit Index = 0.98, Comparative Fit Index = 0.99), indicating a good fit to the model. Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed by the predicted associations, or lack of, with the exception of a poor association between the 'social life/relationships' IPA subscale and FLP-emotion. Internal reliability of the IPA was confirmed (Cronbach alphas >0.8; item-total correlations for all subscales >0.5). Test-retest reliability was confirmed for all items (weighted kappas >0.6) and subscales (intraclass correlation coefficients >0.90). CONCLUSIONS: The English IPA is a valid, reliable and acceptable measure of participation and autonomy in people with a range of conditions and can make a unique and fundamental contribution to outcome assessment. Further research is required to examine the responsiveness of the IPA to change over time, its clinical utility and suitability for use with people from ethnic minorities and with older people.

Microwave conductivity and penetration depth in the heavy fermion superconductor CeCoIn5.

The electrodynamic properties of the quasi-two-dimensional heavy fermion superconductor CeCoIn5 have been investigated by microwave surface impedance measurements over a wide range of microwave frequencies and temperatures. We derive a value penetration depth lambda(0) approximately 190 nm, with a strong linear term in the temperature dependence of lambda(T) below T(c)/3, consistent with a superconducting gap with line nodes. The real part of the conductivity displays a broad peak at low temperatures consistent with a decreased scattering rate of almost 2 orders of magnitude below T(c). CeCoIn5 has remarkably similar properties to those of the high-T(c) cuprates.

The effect of the living situation on the severity of dementia at diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have shown that social determinants not directly involved in the disease process may be implicated in the timing of dementia diagnosis. This study explores the relationship between a patient's living situation and the severity of dementia at diagnosis. METHODS: Data were collected from the baseline interviews of 1,325 patients with cognitive decline enrolled in the Consortium for the Investigation of Vascular Impairment of Cognition study. Data collected included: age, sex, living situation and scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Global Deterioration Scale (GDS), the Functional Rating Scale (FRS), the Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD) scale and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS). Living situation was grouped as: (1) lives alone, (2) lives with spouse, (3) lives with child, relative or other and (4) lives in a nursing home. A general linear model univariate analysis was used to compare patients by their respective living situations for differences in mean scores on each of the 4 measures of dementia severity. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of both unadjusted data and data adjusted for age, sex and CIRS scores showed significant differences among the groups. Those who lived alone were diagnosed at an earlier stage (mean scores: MMSE 21.4, GDS 3.6, FRS 20.0, DAD 29.8) followed by those who lived with a spouse (mean scores: MMSE 20.5, GDS 3.7, FRS 20.4, DAD 28.0), those who lived with a child or other (mean scores: MMSE 19.3, GDS 3.9, FRS 22.5, DAD 24.9) and finally those who lived in a nursing home (mean scores: MMSE 15.2, GDS 4.8, FRS 27.5, DAD 16.9). CONCLUSION: Living situation is related to the severity of dementia at diagnosis. Primary care providers should have a low threshold for case-finding in older adults who live with family or friends.

Correlation of digital rectal examination, prostate specific antigen, and transrectal ultrasound in prostate carcinoma in African Americans.

Since there is general agreement that screening for prostate cancer should be carried out, at least for high-risk individuals, there should be little debate that African-American men should be screened. Current screening guidelines include the two most cost-effective methods of early detection, digital rectal examination and prostate specific antigen. The use of transrectal ultrasound and guided biopsy improves the yield. This article reports on the findings of 50 African-American patients with prostatic carcinoma diagnosed by sonographically guided biopsy in a single, community urology practice. Overall, prostate specific antigen was elevated in 94%, digital rectal examination was positive in 60%, and transrectal ultrasound was positive in 78%. A focal hypoechoic lesion was demonstrated in 58%. When the site of tumor, as specified in the pathology report, was correlated with the findings on digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound, both digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound were positive in 45%. Transrectal ultrasound was positive when digital rectal examination was negative in 30%. Digital rectal examination was positive when ultrasound was not in 14%. Random biopsy revealed areas of carcinoma that were not detected by digital rectal examination nor ultrasound in 40%. We conclude that even though random biopsy significantly improves the detection of prostate carcinoma, sonographic guidance is beneficial to systematically biopsy the gland and to avoid omission of characteristic lesions during random samplings.

Thoracic outlet syndromes--application of microcirculation techniques and clinical review.

The thoracic outlet syndromes of the upper extremities consist of many disorders. The most important two are the costoclavicular syndrome (compression of neurovascular structures between the clavicle and the first rib) and the scalenus anticus syndrome (compression of these structures within the scalene triangle). Congenital abnormalities of the clavicle, congenital small thoracic outlet, high first rib, cervical ribs of all configurations, pectoralis minor and pectoralis major syndromes, and others may occur. The costoclavicular syndrome and scalenus anticus syndrome have been considered the most prevalent compression syndromes and are amenable to surgical or medical treatment. Quantitative measurements of the microcirculation of the fingertip were examined with the shoulders and head in various positions to provide quantitative information relative to the costoclavicular and scalenus anticus syndromes. A laser instrument was ideal for this purpose, for results were quantitative and no counterpressure was applied during the measurement. The technic applied was highly successful in separating quantitatively the normal individuals from those with either costoclavicular syndrome or scalenus anticus syndrome.

Computerized segmental plethysmography and laser flowmetry.

A new computerized plethysmograph allows segments of the vascular system to be examined accurately and automatically. Laser flowmetry allows blood flow measurements to be made of digital circulation for vascular abnormalities. With the 2 new instruments, large and small vessel circulations can be measured quickly and easily. Disease of these vessels can be readily detected. Thus, appropriate medical or surgical therapy can be investigated.

Velocity detection of Korotkoff sounds.

High-speed oscillograms were made showing the time relationships between the ECG and arterial pressure waves detected by three microphones successively placed beneath a standard blood pressure cuff along the brachial artery. As the cuff was deflated through the systolic/diastolic range, the indicated propagation velocity of the Korotkoff waves changed from approximately 1 m/sec near systolic pressure to about 2.5 m/sec near diastolic pressure. Non-Korotkoff waves (noise artifacts), on the other hand, were observed to propagate at much higher velocities, on the order of 5-10 m/sec. This phenomenon can be utilized to identify Korotkoff waves in the presence of other disturbances, particularly in exercise situations, and to determine diastolic pressure in the presence of arterially conducted valve and turbulence noise.