(Press-News.org) In a recently published commentary, UK HealthCare physicians call for standard-of-care treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) among patients who are incarcerated.
The viewpoint article by Anna-Maria South, M.D., Laura Fanucchi, M.D., and Michelle Lofwall, M.D., published in JAMA April 24 highlights the barriers to initiating medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among people who are incarcerated.
For patients with opioid use disorder, medications such as buprenorphine and methadone are considered by the medical community as standard of care treatments, as they alleviate withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings and pain, decrease infections, and lower the risk of mortality. However, the use of these medications is often restricted in U.S. prisons and jails, with only a few states mandating their use in the carceral system.
The physicians' article draws attention to the significant moral distress experienced by doctors when patients who are incarcerated need to be hospitalized due to serious medical complications resulting from untreated opioid use disorder, but they are unable to provide them with the best treatment.
The article also highlights the fact that denying patients standard-of-care treatments because they are incarcerated violates medical ethics, constitutional amendments and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and emphasizes the need for physician advocacy.
"Incarcerated people with opioid use disorder are among the most vulnerable patient populations that also have the least ability to advocate for themselves," said South, an assistant professor in UK College of Medicine’s Division of Hospital Medicine and an attending physician on the Addiction Consult and Education Services. “We as physicians have a powerful voice for advocacy to make substantial change. We need to educate ourselves on the rights that our patients have and where we can go to advocate for them.”
South is the paper’s first author and UK’s 2022 Bell Addiction Medicine Scholar. South’s work on this article was supported by the Bell Alcohol and Addictions Scholar Program.
Read the full JAMA article here.
END
University of Kentucky physicians push for standard-of-care opioid treatment for incarcerated patients
2023-05-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Fear of childbirth exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic
2023-05-13
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated fear of childbirth among pregnant people in the U.S., according to a new Dartmouth study.
The researchers were particularly interested in understanding, from a U.S. context, which factors predict childbirth fear and how the pandemic has affected this fear and birth outcomes. The findings are published in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.
"Our results showed really high rates of childbirth fear in our sample," says first author Zaneta Thayer '08, an associate professor of anthropology at Dartmouth. "Since there's no pre-pandemic U.S. data, we cannot compare our data to that context but we know that ...
Restoring control to a particular brain region may help to prevent return to use of opioids
2023-05-13
A team of neuroscientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has identified changes in the activity of brain cells known as pyramidal neurons, which contribute to drug seeking in a preclinical model of opioid use disorder. After access to heroin was stopped, these neurons became more excitable. The activity of these neurons was restored to normal by blocking the enzyme protein kinase A (PKA). Inhibiting this enzyme also reduced opioid-seeking behavior. Jacqueline McGinty, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience, and Saurabh Kokane, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar in McGinty’s laboratory, recently published their team’s findings in the Journal of Neuroscience.
The risk ...
Stress hormone during pregnancy may improve early language development in children
2023-05-13
High levels of the stress hormone cortisol during the third trimester of pregnancy may improve speech and language skills in the first 3 years of a child’s life, according to research presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul. The findings help researchers further understand the role cortisol plays in both fetal and child development.
Language development during early childhood can indicate how well a baby’s nervous system was developed in the womb. Prenatal exposure to cortisol – a steroid hormone that helps the body respond to ...
Steroids linked to long-lasting heart disease risk and worse quality of life
2023-05-13
Anabolic steroids not only can cause serious side effects during use, such as heart failure and depression, but can continue being harmful years after stopping, according to two studies presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul. These studies, supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, were carried out by researchers from the Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet who investigated the impact of anabolic steroids in former users.
Anabolic steroids – synthetic hormones ...
Low levels of vitamin D linked to long COVID
2023-05-13
Long COVID risk has been found to increase with low levels of vitamin D, according to research presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul. The findings suggest that individuals should have their vitamin D levels checked after COVID-19.
Also known as post COVID-19 syndrome, long COVID is a new condition in which the effects of COVID-19 last for more than 12 weeks after contracting the initial infection. Studies have shown that it affects 50-70% of patients previously hospitalised for COVID-19, yet very little is known about the condition. One risk factor for worse outcomes for hospitalised COVID-19 patients, such as intubation and mechanical ventilation ...
Accelerated delivery of transcranial magnetic stimulation is safe and effective
2023-05-12
May 12, 2023 — Accelerated schedules for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be offered to patients experiencing treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD), a group of clinician–researchers and neuroscientists have concluded. The group cautions that such treatment should be proposed only after detailed discussion with patients about acceleration being an alternate form of rTMS scheduling, with documentation of informed consent.
The recommendations are published in a ...
Amino acid PET successfully differentiates recurrent brain metastases, reducing invasive procedures and overtreatment
2023-05-12
Reston, VA—A newly published meta-analysis indicates that amino acid PET can accurately differentiate recurrent or progressive brain metastases from treatment-related changes. A specificity of 84 percent suggests that it may reduce the number of invasive procedures and overtreatment in patients who in fact experience treatment-related changes. This research was published in the May issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Brain metastases occur in 20 to 40 percent of all cancer patients and are most likely ...
Is it too late to change your mind? Study reveals ‘developmental window’ for thinking styles
2023-05-12
Key takeaways
Researchers studied the way different generations in Romania determined the truth of information following the country’s transition from authoritarianism to democracy.
Those who were born and raised after the transition were more likely than older cohorts to compare and evaluate different perspectives before deciding who is right.
The factors associated with the youngest generation’s style of thinking were greater exposure to formal education and social media.
While people change and learn throughout life, experts recognize ...
TVT 2023 late-breaking science announced
2023-05-12
NEW YORK – May 12, 2023 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) announced that TVT: The Structural Heart Summit will feature 15 Late-Breaking Clinical Science studies. An annual meeting featuring cutting-edge research and techniques for structural heart interventions, TVT will take place June 7-10, 2023, at the Phoenix Convention Center – West in Phoenix, Arizona.
TVT has become the epicenter of innovation and collaboration in the structural heart arena over its 16-year history. The meeting brings together world-renowned experts and master operators to help translate novel discoveries into practical therapies for patients with valvular heart disease.
TVT’s ...
UArizona Engineering alum returns to lead School of Mining and Mineral Resources
2023-05-12
Misael Cabrera has been selected through a nationwide search as the inaugural director of the School of Mining and Mineral Resources. The school was created in 2021 and is jointly housed in the College of Engineering and the College of Science, with strong partnerships to additional colleges and centers.
“Our role is to deliver talent and technology through research, but also to change the top-of-mind association with mining. We can create real solutions that both industry and our planet need,” said Cabrera.
Cabrera, who began the position in April, most ...