Follow-Up: Effects of a Pandemic and Isolation on Alcohol and Psychoactive Medication Use in a Population of Rehabilitation and Pain Patients.

Objective: The conjunction of the coronavirus disease lockdown and the use of illicit drugs suggests the potential increase in drug usage and opioid deaths. Because of other studies, we felt the need to examine if the lockdown has caused a change in the drug intake of our population of substance abuse and pain management patients. Our initial study indicated no increase in the use of illicit and antianxiety drugs.

Effects of a Pandemic and Isolation on Alcohol and Psychoactive Medication Use in a Population of Rehabilitation and Pain Patients.

Objective: The conjunction of the coronavirus disease lockdown and the use of illicit drugs suggests the potential increase in drug usage and opioid deaths. Because of other studies, we felt the need to examine if the lockdown has caused a change in the drug intake of our population of substance abuse and pain management patients.

Materials: Urine drug testing is a strategy to reduce harm to patients in pain management and substance abuse treatment programs.

Reduction of Drug-Drug Interaction Risk; CDC Guidelines Influence on Opiate Benzodiazepine Prescribing.

We examined the results of 1.3 million drug tests performed on patients being monitored for compliance with pain medications and substance abuse rehabilitation to determine if the 2016 CDC prescribing guidelines had any impact on opiate benzodiazepine use. We observed that the combination of the opiate drugs morphine, oxycodone, and hydrocodone with the benzodiazepine metabolites oxazepam, alphahydroxyalprazolam, and 7-aminoclonazepam showed many patients were on a combination of these drugs.

Intraoperative ultrasound localization of nonpalpable breast cancers.

Background: Preoperative localization of nonpalpable breast cancers requires good coordination between imaging and surgery departments, and insertion of a guide wire can be traumatic for the patient. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative ultrasound localization of nonpalpable breast cancers directly by the surgeon.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted from June 2006 to October 2006 in 70 patients who underwent surgery for nonpalpable invasive breast cancer.