Association Between Concurrent Use of Benzodiazepines and Opioids and Health Care Utilization Among Patients With Cancer in Puerto Rico.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines (BZDs) and emergency room (ER) visits and hospital admissions in patients with cancer.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry-Health Insurance Linkage. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs and incidence rate ratio (IRR) were estimated using logistic and negative binomial regression analyses to assess the association between concurrent use of opioids and BZDs (overlap of at least 7 days) and ER visits and hospital admissions.

Knowledge and Perceptions of E-cigarettes and the Motivations for their Use: Talking to Smokers (E-cigarettes and/or Conventional Cigarettes) and Non-smokers in Puerto Rico.

Objective: The awareness and use of e-cigarettes have been increasing in recent years. The World Health Organization recently reported that regulations are needed to impede the promotion of e-cigarettes to young people, prohibit unproven health claims about them (including those regarding smoking-cessation efficacy), minimize potential health risks to e-cigarette users and non-users, and protect existing tobacco controls. The study described herein explored e-cigarette knowledge, perceptions, and usage motivations among a group of adults in Puerto Rico.