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Physicians trained at lowest-ranked medical schools write more opioid prescriptions, study finds

Physicians trained at the United States' lowest-ranked medical schools write more opioid prescriptions than physicians trained at the highest-ranked schools, according to a study by Princeton University.

14 Aug 2017

Researchers reveal stark increase in opioid-related ICU admissions and deaths

Since 2009, hospital intensive care units have witnessed a stark increase in opioid-related admissions and deaths, according to new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Center for Healthcare Delivery Science.

14 Aug 2017

A long and winding road: Kicking heroin in an opioid ‘treatment desert’

Heather Menzel squirmed in her seat, unable to sleep on the Greyhound bus as it rolled through the early morning darkness toward Bakersfield, in California's Central Valley.

11 Aug 2017

Opioid crisis results in increased admissions to hospital ICUs and deaths

The opioid crisis in the United States is resulting in increased admissions to hospital intensive care units and in increased numbers of ICU deaths from opioid overdoses, according to new research published online, ahead of print in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

11 Aug 2017

Pharmaceutical companies may have strong hold on how doctors prescribe opioids, study suggests

One in twelve physicians - and nearly one in five family medicine physicians - accepted payments from pharmaceutical companies related to opioids, according to a new study out of Boston Medical Center's Grayken Center for Addiction Medicine.

10 Aug 2017

Opioid overdose death toll continues upward trend

According to the National Center for Health Statistics report, the overdose deaths among the persons with drug abusers in 2016 is on an upward rise that has not stopped. These rising numbers are disheartening because the intensified efforts to curb these numbers are thus seemingly not working.

8 Aug 2017

Study develops correction methods to provide more accurate estimates of opioid, heroin deaths

Although opioid and heroin deaths have been rising dramatically in the U.S., the magnitude of the epidemic varies from state to state, as does the relative proportion of opioid vs heroin poisonings.

7 Aug 2017

Opioid prescription use found to be more common among cancer survivors

A new study found that opioid prescription use is more common in cancer survivors than in individuals without a history of cancer.

7 Aug 2017

U-M Injury Center receives CDC funding to find solutions for preventing injuries

An opioid overdose. A concussion on the football field. A fall by an aging parent. A motor vehicle crash by a distracted driver texting.

4 Aug 2017

Survey explores how Ohio's ED administrators perceive role of state opioid prescribing guidelines

A survey led by a team of researchers at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center reports that the majority of Ohio's emergency department administrators and physicians are in support of the most recent state guidelines for prescribing opioids, but challenges still exist in implementation.

1 Aug 2017

Undocumented immigrants do not increase prevalence of drug, alcohol crimes and deaths in the U.S.

Despite being saddled with many factors associated with drug and alcohol problems, undocumented immigrants are not increasing the prevalence of drug and alcohol crimes and deaths in the United States, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

1 Aug 2017

Methamphetamine use does not only cause death through overdose, warn researchers

Overdose is not the only cause of death among people who die as a result of using the drug methamphetamine or “ice,” say researchers.

31 Jul 2017

Drug overdose deaths on the rise in Ohio

In light of the Ohio opioid epidemic, Advanced Recovery Systems, an integrated behavioral healthcare management company, recently opened an addiction and co-occurring mental health treatment facility in Groveport: The Recovery Village Columbus. Located 10 miles away from Columbus, this new facility opened on July 11, 2017 and is now accepting patients.

29 Jul 2017

Study finds sevenfold rise in prescription opioid use among fatally injured drivers

The percentage of fatally injured drivers who tested positive for prescription opioids rose sevenfold from 1 percent in 1995 to over 7 percent in 2015, according to a new study at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The findings appear online in the American Journal of Public Health.

26 Jul 2017

Depression among heart attack survivors can be deadly, yet is often ignored

Clyde Boyce has been hospitalized 14 times in the past four years. Boyce, 61, survived two strokes and five operations to unblock arteries around his heart, including three procedures in which doctors propped open his blood vessels with stents. He takes 18 pills a day and gets injections every two weeks with a powerful drug to lower cholesterol.

20 Jul 2017

Fear of being arrested prevents people from calling 911 after opioid overdose

Fear of being arrested still undercuts an Indiana law that shields anyone who administers naloxone from criminal charges, according to a survey conducted by two researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

19 Jul 2017

Research shows that opioid prescription practices at Mayo Clinic exceed upcoming guidelines

More than 4 in 5 opioid prescriptions given after surgery over a recent two-year period at Mayo Clinic exceeded guidelines now in the works, the clinic's researchers have found.

14 Jul 2017

Opioid prescribing practices update from CDC

According to the latest Vital Signs reports issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of prescriptions containing an opioid was at its highest in 2010 and since then has decreased every year until 2015. The numbers are still high says the report and the variations are also noticeable between counties.

6 Jul 2017

New single probe method provides PCR-free detection of microRNA linked to liver toxicity

Quanterix Corporation, a company digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health, and DestiNA Genomics Ltd, a manufacturer of patented reagents for nucleic acid detection, today announced that PLOS ONE has published a proof-of-concept single probe method for detecting microRNA biomarkers associated with liver toxicity.