Psychosocial factors associated with overdose subsequent to Illicit Drug use: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Background And Aims: Psychological and social status, and environmental context, may mediate the likelihood of experiencing overdose subsequent to illicit drug use. The aim of this systematic review was to identify and synthesise psychosocial factors associated with overdose among people who use drugs.

Methods: This review was registered on Prospero (CRD42021242495).

Trends in gabapentinoid prescribing, co-prescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines, and associated deaths in Scotland.

Background: Gabapentinoid drugs (gabapentin and pregabalin) are effective in neuropathic pain, which has a prevalence of ∼7%. Concerns about increased prescribing have implications for patient safety, misuse, and diversion. Drug-related deaths (DRDs) have increased and toxicology often implicates gabapentinoids.

Hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment, impact on engagement and behaviour of people who inject drugs, a service evaluation, the hooked C project.

There is emerging evidence that Hepatitis C (HCV) treatment engagement is associated with change in drug behaviours and reduced drug-related death rates among people who inject drugs (PWID). The project aims to investigate whether HCV diagnosis and treatment engagement reduces all-cause mortality and drug-related death, and whether any effect is dependent on treatment regimen and intensity of engagement with staff. Case-control studies comparing: PWID with active HCV infection (PCR positive) to PWID HCV infected but spontaneously resolved (PCR negative); PCR-positive patients who engaged with treatment services to nonengagers; and patients who received interferon vs direct-acting antiviral (DAA) based treatment.

Clinical but not histological factors predict long-term prognosis in patients with histologically advanced non-decompensated alcoholic liver disease.

Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a significant threat to public health and a leading cause of death. Despite this, the long-term clinical course and predictive factors of survival in histologically advanced ALD are not well described.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify clinical and histological factors that predict long-term (15-year) survival in outpatients with histologically advanced non-decompensated ALD.