Assessing alcohol consumption across phosphatidylethanol levels using HDL-cholesterol as a predictor.

Aims: Prior research has established a correlation between increases of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and alcohol consumption. This study aimed to explore the association between phosphatidylethanol (PEth) levels and the amount of consumed ethanol, utilizing HDL-C as a surrogate marker on a population level. This endeavor offers an adjunct to other studies.

Screening and Following Up Harmful Alcohol Use "… is Not Necessarily Your Primary Focus": A Qualitative Study Exploring Health Professionals' Experiences Addressing Harmful Alcohol Use in a Norwegian Hospital.

Introduction: Alcohol use remains a leading cause of excess mortality and morbidity worldwide, and identifying and following up harmful alcohol use represents a key component of alcohol harm reduction policies. This article explores health professionals' experiences implementing these policies in a Norwegian hospital.

Aim: To explore health professionals' views and experiences of systematic screening and tailored follow-up of harmful and hazardous alcohol use in a Norwegian hospital.

Substance use and driver fatality in Norway: An expanded case-control study.

Objective: Using alcohol or psychoactive drugs before driving a motor vehicle may increase the risk of crash involvement, injury, and death. This is better documented for alcohol than for drugs. The aim of this study was to expand a previous case-control study on substance use and driver fatality by doubling the number of cases and controls, and hence improve the statistical power and enable the analysis of combined substance use.

Is alcohol and psychoactive medication use associated with excess hospital length-of-stay and admission frequency? A cross-sectional, observational study.

Background: Hospital length-of-stay and admission frequency are commonly used indicators of disease burden and health resource expenditures. However, the impact of psychoactive prescription medication use and harmful alcohol consumption on both the duration and frequency of hospital admissions is under-explored.

Methods: We conducted an analysis of data gathered from 2872 patients admitted to the Emergency Department at Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital in Oslo, Norway.

All-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals imprisoned for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs in Norway (2000-2016): a retrospective cohort study.

Aims: To describe all-cause and cause-specific mortality and to investigate factors associated with mortality among individuals imprisoned for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and psychoactive drugs in the Norwegian prison population.

Design: Retrospective cohort study. The Norwegian prison registry was linked to the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry (2000-2016).

Psychoactive substances and previous hospital admissions, triage and length of stay in rural injuries: a prospective observational study.

Background: Patients admitted to hospital after an injury are often found to have used psychoactive substances prior to the injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between psychoactive substances (alcohol, psychoactive medicinal drugs and illicit drugs) and previous hospital admissions, triage and length of stay in the arctic Norwegian county of Finnmark.

Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years admitted due to injury to trauma hospitals in Finnmark from January 2015 to August 2016 were approached.

Crash-involved THC-positive drivers in Norway have a high frequency of polysubstance use.

Background: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most frequently detected drug in blood samples from apprehended drug driving suspects in Norway. This investigation aimed to study the extent of polysubstance use among apprehended crash-involved drivers with THC concentrations above the legal limit and explore the importance of THC in polysubstance cases.

Methods: We selected all drug driving cases where blood samples had been submitted for forensic toxicology testing after involvement in road traffic crashes during 2013-2020, except drivers who were fatally injured.

Falsely low phosphatidylethanol may be associated with biomarkers of haemolytic disease.

Aims: Falsely lower or even negative phosphatidylethanol (PEth) levels may theoretically be seen in patients with haemolytic diseases, and the present study aimed to elucidate this hypothesis.

Methods: PEth and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) from 9893 serum and whole blood samples were included along with markers of haemolysis (i.e.

Deaths associated with MDMA in the period 2000-2019.

Background: The use of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as ecstasy, has increased in Norway in recent years. Since MDMA has the potential to be toxic and cause death, we studied whether increased availability and use correlates with the increase in MDMA-associated deaths.

Material And Method: The study includes post-mortems with findings of MDMA in blood, linked to information about cause of death from the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry.

Concentrations of psychoactive substances in blood samples from non-fatal and fatal opioid overdoses.

Aim: The primary aim was to compare concentrations of psychoactive substances in blood in non-fatal and fatal opioid overdoses. The secondary aim was to assess the concentration levels of naloxone in blood in non-fatal overdoses and the association between naloxone findings and concomitantly detected drugs.

Method Design: Case-control study.

The importance of alcohol in elderly's hospital admissions for fall injuries: a population case-control study.

Background: Fall injuries account for a substantial part of the health burden among elderly persons, and they often affect life quality severely and impose large societal costs. Alcohol intoxication is a well-known risk factor for accidental injuries, but less is known about this association among elderly people. In this study, our aim was to assess whether risk of fall injuries among the elderly is elevated with an intoxication-oriented drinking pattern.

Multimorbidity, psychoactive substance use and psychological distress among acute medically ill patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: In order to target the complex health needs of patients with multimorbidity using psychoactive substances, knowledge regarding the association between substance use and multimorbidity in an acute setting is needed.

Aims: Examine psychoactive substance use patterns among acute medically ill patients, and determine the association between multimorbidity and substance use, and psychological distress.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

The alcohol marker phosphatidylethanol is closely related to AST, GGT, ferritin and HDL-C.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative relation between common clinical chemical analyses and ethanol use, measured by a combination of the two alcohol markers phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT).

Methods: Results of PEth and CDT in whole blood and serum, respectively, were included, together with information on 10 different commonly measured clinical chemical analytes, as well as age and sex. PEth was analysed by UPC -MS/MS and CDT was measured by capillary electrophoresis.

Quality of care, resource use and patient outcome by use of emergency response team compared with standard care for critically ill medical patients in the emergency department: a retrospective single-centre cohort study from Norway.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate quality of care, resource use and patient outcome in management by an emergency response team versus standard care for critically ill medical patients in the emergency department (ED). The emergency response team was multidisciplinary and had eight members, with a registrar in internal medicine as team leader.

Design: Register-based retrospective cohort study.

NEWS2 versus a single-parameter system to identify critically ill medical patients in the emergency department.

Aim: To test National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) versus a single-parameter system to identify critically ill general medical patients in the emergency department (ED), by 1) testing NEWS2s prediction of and association with primary outcome 'mortality' (hospital or 30 day) and secondary outcomes 'intensive care unit (ICU) admission' and 'critical care in ED' and 2) comparing this for different NEWS2 cut-offs and the single-parameter system in use.

Methods: Register-data on adult triage 1 and 2 patients with complete NEWS2 from 2015 and 2016 were retrieved. Prediction was assessed using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve.

The Association between the Alcohol Biomarker Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and Self-Reported Alcohol Consumption among Russian and Norwegian Medical Patients.

Aims: Valid measures to identify harmful alcohol use are important. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a validated questionnaire used to self-report harmful drinking in several cultures and settings. Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 (PEth) is a direct alcohol biomarker measuring alcohol consumption levels.

Psychoactive substances have major impact on injuries in rural arctic Norway - A prospective observational study.

Background: Rural areas have increased injury mortality with a high pre-hospital death rate. Knowledge concerning the impact of psychoactive substances on injury occurrence is lacking for rural arctic Norway. These substances are also known to increase pre-, per- and postoperative risk.

Characteristics, management and outcome of critically ill general medical patients in the Emergency Department: An observational study.

Background: Critically ill general medical patients are an increasing group in the Emergency Department (ED). This register-based cohort study aimed to examine these patients' characteristics, ED management and outcome, and investigate factors associated with ICU admission.

Methods: The study comprised all adult medical triage 1 patients treated by a specialized multidisciplinary team in 2015 and 2016.

Comparison of the Diagnostic Value of Phosphatidylethanol and Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin as Biomarkers of Alcohol Consumption.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the results of Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) in blood as biomarkers of alcohol consumption in a large clinical cohort and to evaluate concentrations in relation to age and sex.

Methods: Results of PEth 16:0/18:1 in blood and CDT in serum were included, together with information of age and sex, which were extracted from a clinical chemistry database containing samples mostly from patients of primary care physicians and social care institutions. PEth concentrations were determined using Ultra Performance Convergence chromatography mass spectrometer.

Prevalence of alcohol use among road traffic crash victims presenting to a Malawian Central Hospital: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Alcohol consumption is a well-known risk factor for sustaining road traffic injuries worldwide. Malawi is a low-income country with a large and increasing burden of road traffic injuries. It has generally been viewed as a country with relatively little alcohol consumption.