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Biomedical subjects

F S Tennant

Publications and source records attributed to F S Tennant.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Characteristics of 68 chronic phencyclidine abusers who sought treatment.

An analysis of 68 phencyclidine (PCP) users who sought treatment reveals that chronic compulsive, daily use occurs and that intravenous use is relatively common. Twenty-five (37%) subjects considered themselves to be addicted to PCP and 19 (29%) desired medication to assist withdrawal. Unwanted behaviors under the influence of PCP were common and primarily related to memory loss, or acts which resulted from loss of impulse control.

Adolescent↗

Propoxyphene napsylate maintenance treatment for narcotic dependence: a non-methadone model.

One hundred and seventy eight heroin addicts entered propoxyphene napsylate (PN) maintenance. Patients attended a general medical clinic twice each week and took home a three- to four-day supply of PN, to be taken in doses of 300 to 400 mg three or four times per day. Over a 21-month period, subjects entered and re-entered PN treatment 266 times (1.5 times per patient) and remained in treatment a mean of 10.6 weeks. When compared with a group of methadone maintenance patients, similar characteristics in employment and heroin use were found. The ability to take PN, attend a clinic less often than daily and discontinue and re-enter treatment on a discretionary basis is a preferred treatment approach for some narcotic addicts.

Adult↗

The California registration system for habitues to schedule II drugs.

In order to help control abuse and prevent over-prescribing, California has developed triplicate prescriptions for Schedule II narcotics as well as a system for physicians to publicly register patients who are habitues to Schedule II Controlled Substances. A preliminary evaluation indicates that there is under-reporting and confusion among physicians about the system, but it has probably helped control Schedule II narcotic abuse in California while not depriving patients of needed treatment. Physicians appear to prescribe Schedule II narcotics for serious medical conditions but may underprescribe narcotics for some chronic pain patients and subject others to potential complications of high, chronic doses or oral narcotics which are combined with salicylate, acetaminophen, or phenacetin. Despite some defects, California's system of triplicate prescriptions and public registration of habitues appears a viable alternative to the removal of abusable, Schedule II drugs from the commercial market.

Barbiturates↗

Influence of a cash fee on outpatient heroin detoxification.

Twenty-eight employed heroin addicts who were admitted to 10-day, outpatient detoxification and paid a modest fee were compared to 28 poverty-level, unemployed patients who received free detoxification. Patients were matched for admission date within +/- 30 days, sex, age within +/- 5 years, total length of heroin use within +/- 3 years, and parole/probation status. At the end of detoxification treatment, 9 of 28 (32.1%) patients who paid a fee, and 11 of 28 (39.3%) patients who were given free treatment had urines which were devoid of heroin derivative (PNS). Three of less patients in each group chose to remain in longer-term treatment (PNS). These results suggest that a patient fee did not favorably influence outcome of outpatient heroin detoxification.

Ambulatory Care↗

Prescribing narcotics to habitual and addicted narcotic users. Medical and legal guidelines in California and some other Western states.

Confusion exists among physicians over the legal requirements and appropriate prescribing of narcotics to addicted or habitual users of narcotics. The result has often been either (1) the deprivation of appropriate treatment for patients who desire detoxification or adequate pain relief, or (2) illegal prescribing by physicians. Because most narcotics are potent and dangerous substances, certain legal restrictions are necessary to protect the general public. State-approved programs have been established to prescribe methadone and propoxyphene napsylate for addiction treatment. Current laws and regulations in California permit every practicing physician to provide effective and safe treatment for addiction and pain relief.

California↗

Screening for drug and alcohol abuse in a general medical population.

One hundred fifty consecutive, first-visit, general medical patients were simply and inexpensively screened by questionnaire, personal inquiry, and physical examination for drug and alcohol abuse. Seventeen (11.3%) currently used psychoactive drugs, excluding alcohol, and ten (6.7%) used drugs or alcohol on a daily basis to the point that the patient considered it an abuse problem. The majority of the drug and alcohol users recognized their problem on a short questionnaire that was part of a medical intake form. Almost all of the recognized abusers of drugs or alcohol subsequently entered treatment of their problem.

Alcoholism↗

Histopathologic and clinical abnormalities of the respiratory system in chronic hashish smokers.

Thirty chronic hashish smokers (mean age-20 years) with respiratory symptoms and six control subjects who were nonhashish smokers were evaluated by history, physical examination, bronchoscopy, and bronchial biopsy. Twenty-three (23) of 23 (100 percent) patients who smoked hashish plus cigarettes had one or more histopathologic abnormalities of basal cell hyperplasia, atypical cells, or squamous cell metaplasia. Only one of seven (28.6 percent) hashish smokers who smoked cigarettes, one of three (33.3 percent) cigarette smokers who smoked no hashish, and zero of three (0 percent) nonsmokers showed one or more of the same histopathologic lesions (p less than .05). Hashish smoking when combined with cigarette smoking appeared to have more deleterious pulmonary effects than either hashish or cigarettes smoked alone, and the abnormal histopathologic lesions found in these smokers are identical to those frequently associated with later development of emphysema and carcinoma of the lung.

Adult↗

Outpatient treatment and outcome of prescription drug abuse.

Forty-six consecutive patients who voluntarily sought outpatient treatment for abuse of one or more prescription drugs were studied. Barbiturates, amphetamines, and diazepam were the most common drugs abused. Desired treatments by patients included counseling, medical withdrawal, or medical maintenance with the drug of abuse or a chemically related drug. Twenty-two (47.8%) patients left treatment and relapsed within one month; another eight (17.4%) patients relapsed between one and three months after entering treatment. Only 13 (28.3%) reported abstinence 90 days after entering treatment. This experience suggests that a wide range of medical, social, and psychologic resources are required to treat prescription drug abuse, and that long-term drug abstinence is difficult to achieve with all patients.

Adult↗

Detoxification from methadone maintenance: double-blind comparison of two methods.

A well-rehabilitated group of 22 methadone maintenance patients were detoxified under ambulatory and double-blind conditions, over 42 days, either by decreasing the daily dose of methadone and supplementing it by propoxyphene napsylate (M--PN), or by decreasing the daily dose of methadone administered in two equal doses given 12 hours apart (M--M). All of 12 (100%) M--M and 5 of 10 (50%) M--PN subjects were able to temporarily withdraw from methadone maintenance, although two of the M--PN patients required maintenance with propoxyphene napsylate to cease methadone maintenance. In our experience both detoxification methods employed appear superior to the standard withdrawal technique of simply reducing the daily methadone maintenance dose in a step-wise fashion.

Adult↗