Exploring factors associated with domestic violence among pregnant women in Pakistan and its implications for maternal and perinatal health.

Domestic violence during pregnancy is a critical health issue due to its significant implications for both maternal and fetal well-being. Women in South Asian countries are particularly at a higher risk of experiencing domestic violence. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with domestic violence among pregnant women attending tertiary care antenatal services in Pakistan.

Low-Dose Buprenorphine Initiation for Hospitalized Patients With Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder or Opioid Misuse: Protocol for an Open-Label, Parallel-Group, Effectiveness-Implementation Randomized Controlled Trial.

Buprenorphine is an effective medication for both opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain (CP), but transitioning from full opioid agonists to buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, can be challenging. Preliminary studies suggest that low-dose buprenorphine initiation can overcome some challenges in starting treatment, but no randomized controlled trials have compared low-dose and standard buprenorphine initiation approaches regarding effectiveness and safety or examined implementation in hospital settings. In a pragmatic open-label hybrid type I effectiveness-implementation trial based in a single urban health system, 270 hospitalized patients with (a) CP and (b) OUD or opioid misuse are being randomized to buprenorphine treatment initiation using 5-day low-dose or standard initiation protocols.

Low-dose buprenorphine initiation and treatment continuation among hospitalized patients with opioid dependence: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for both opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain, but buprenorphine's pharmacology complicates treatment initiation for some patients. Low-dose buprenorphine initiation is a novel strategy that may reduce precipitated withdrawal. Few studies describe what patient populations benefit most from low-dose initiations and the clinical parameters that impact treatment continuation.

Cascade of care for office-based buprenorphine treatment in Bronx community clinics.

Introduction: The cascade of care for opioid use disorder (OUD) has been described at the population level to inform health policy and in health care systems, programs, and communities to guide targeted interventions. Office-based buprenorphine treatment is essential for expanding access to OUD treatment; however, few studies examine the cascade of care specifically for office-based buprenorphine treatment. Our objective was to describe a cascade of care for patients referred for office-based buprenorphine treatment in the primary care setting.

Guideline adherence and reasons for recommending dose reduction in a primary care-based opioid management clinic.

Background: To provide Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline-recommended practices for patients on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) including individualized decisions about opioid dose reduction, we developed the Power Over Pain (POP) Clinic.

Objective: To describe frequency and reasons for opioid dose reduction and pre-post adherence to CDC guideline-recommended practices.

Design: Retrospective chart review with qualitative and pre-post analysis.

A comparison of office-based buprenorphine treatment outcomes in Bronx community clinics before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: In 2020, the US and New York City experienced unprecedented deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic and drug overdoses. Policy changes reduced burdensome regulations for medication treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Despite these policy changes, few studies examined buprenorphine treatment outcomes during the pandemic.

Rhabdomyolysis Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State Patient With New-Onset Diabetes: A Case Report.

The hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS) is a serious acute complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus that requires prompt recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. Reversible acute kidney injury is common in hyperglycemic states. However, hyperglycemic emergencies can contribute to the development of rhabdomyolysis, which can further aggravate acute kidney injury and can cause high morbidity and mortality.

Cannabis Use is Associated with Lower Odds of Prescription Opioid Analgesic Use Among HIV-Infected Individuals with Chronic Pain.

Background: Chronic pain is common in the United States and prescribed opioid analgesics use for noncancer pain has increased dramatically in the past two decades, possibly accounting for the current opioid addiction epidemic. Co-morbid drug use in those prescribed opioid analgesics is common, but there are few data on polysubstance use patterns.

Objective: We explored patterns of use of cigarette, alcohol, and illicit drugs in HIV-infected people with chronic pain who were prescribed opioid analgesics.

Variability in opioid prescription monitoring and evidence of aberrant medication taking behaviors in urban safety-net clinics.

Little is known about variability in primary care providers' (PCPs) adherence to opioid-monitoring guidelines for patients. We examined variability of adherence to monitoring guidelines among PCPs and ascertained the relationship between PCP adherence and opioid misuse by their patients. We included primary care patients receiving long-term opioids (≥3 prescriptions within 6 months) for chronic noncancer pain and PCPs with ≥4 eligible patients.

Adherence to prescription opioid monitoring guidelines among residents and attending physicians in the primary care setting.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare adherence to opioid prescribing guidelines and potential opioid misuse in patients of resident vs attending physicians.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Setting: Large primary care practice at a safety net hospital in New England.

National trends in rates of death and hospital admissions related to acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and stroke, 1994-2004.

Background: Rates of death from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have been steadily declining over the past few decades. Whether such declines are occurring to a similar degree for common disorders such as acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and stroke is uncertain. We examined recent national trends in mortality and rates of hospital admission for these 3 conditions.

Indicators of quality of care for patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: There is a wide practice gap between optimal and actual care for patients with acute myocardial infarction in hospitals around the world. We undertook this initiative to develop an updated set of evidence-based indicators to measure and improve the quality of care for this patient population.

Methods: A 12-member expert panel was convened in 2007 to develop an updated set of quality indicators for acute myocardial infarction.

Blindness in children at the Ida Rieu school for the blind and deaf.

Objective: To identify the causes of blindness at the Ida Rieu school for the blind and deaf, Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at the Ida Rieu School for the blind and deaf. The data collected from medical record of students was entered into the WHO/PBL eye examination form for children with blindness and low vision.