Use of withdrawal management services among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada.

BACKGROUND: For many individuals with substance use disorders, the entry point for addiction treatment can be through withdrawal management (e.g. detoxification) services. However, little is known about the factors that predict withdrawal management service use among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD). Using data derived from two prospective cohorts of PWUD, we conducted a longitudinal data analysis of factors associated with use of withdrawal management services. METHODS: Individuals participating in two cohorts of PWUD were prospectively followed between December 2005 and May 2016 in Vancouver, Canada. Bivariate and multivariate generalized estimating equations were used to examine factors associated with use of withdrawal management services. RESULTS: Out of a total of 2001 participants, 339 (16.9%) individuals reported having been to a withdrawal management centre in the previous 6 months at some point during the study period. In multivariate analyses, male sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.62, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.17-2.24), homelessness (AOR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.45-2.38), binge use of any substance (AOR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.08-1.67), having attended a supervised injection facility (AOR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.3-2.11), and having accessed other addiction medicine treatment or supports (other than withdrawal management services or opioid agonist therapy; AOR: 3.34, 95% CI: 2.64-4.22) were positively associated with having accessed withdrawal management services, whereas older age (AOR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.7-0.94) was negatively associated with the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified specific factors associated with accessing withdrawal management services. Current evidence suggests a need to re-examine the provision of withdrawal management services. Consideration needs to be given to redesigning access to care and bridging to evidence-based addiction treatment, particularly for highly vulnerable subpopulations, identified in this study as females and older people.

Managing Opioid Addiction Risk in Plastic Surgery during the Perioperative Period.

Opioid addiction is a public health crisis that affects all areas of medicine. Large numbers of the population across all racial and economic demographics misuse prescription opioids and use illicit opioids. The current understanding is that opioid misuse is a disease that requires treatment, and is not an issue of choice or character. Use of opioid medication is a necessary part of postoperative analgesia, but many physicians are unsure of how to do this safely given the risk of patients developing an opioid misuse disorder. This review gives an update of the current state of the opioid crisis, explains how current surgeons' prescribing practices are contributing to it, and gives recommendations on how to use opioid medication safely in the perioperative period.