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Biomedical subjects

Jeff Ward

Publications and source records attributed to Jeff Ward.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Trends in morphine prescriptions, illicit morphine use and associated harms among regular injecting drug users in Australia.

This paper examines population trends in morphine prescriptions in Australia, and contrasts them with findings from annual surveys with regular injecting drug users (IDU). Data on morphine prescriptions from 1995 to 2003 were obtained from the Drug Monitoring System (DRUMS) run by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. Data collected from regular IDU as part of the Australian Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) were analysed (2001 - 2004). The rate of morphine prescription per person aged 15 - 54 years increased by 89% across Australia between 1995 and 2003 (from 46.3 to 85.9 mg per person). Almost half (46%) of IDU surveyed in 2004 reported illicit morphine use, with the highest rates in jurisdictions where heroin was less available. Recent morphine injectors were significantly more likely to be male, unemployed, out of treatment and homeless in comparison to IDU who had not injected morphine. They were also more likely to have injected other pharmaceutical drugs and to report injection related problems. Among those who had injected morphine recently, the most commonly reported injecting harms were morphine dependence (38%), difficulty finding veins into which to inject (36%) and scarring or bruising (27%). Morphine use and injection is a common practice among regular IDU in Australia. In some cases, morphine may be a substitute for illicit heroin; in others, it may be being used to treat heroin dependence where other pharmacotherapies, such as methadone and buprenorphine, are perceived as being unavailable or undesirable by IDU. Morphine injection appears to be associated with polydrug use, and with it, a range of problems related to drug injection. Further research is required to monitor and reduce morphine diversion and related harms by such polydrug injectors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Patterns of memory dysfunction in current and 2-year abstinent MDMA users.

The popular recreational drug MDMA or "ecstasy" is a selective serotonin neurotoxin in many species and has been found to be associated with memory dysfunction in human beings. Recent studies suggest that this impairment persists after cessation of use for periods up to at least one year. However, there is no clear indication as yet concerning which stage of memory processing is impaired as a result of MDMA use. In the current study, 31 current MDMA users and 30 MDMA users who had been abstinent for more than two years were compared with 30 controls on the WMS-III. The results suggest that MDMA use is associated with memory dysfunction and that this dysfunction persists for up to two years after cessation of use. Importantly, the findings suggest that this memory dysfunction may be due to interference at the encoding stage of memory processing.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Intentional replantation of a lower premolar.

Intentional replantation is the purposeful extraction of a tooth to perform extraoral endodontic treatment, curettage of apical soft tissue when present and the replacement of the tooth in its socket. This paper demonstrates the use of intentional replantation as a technique to successfully treat a case where conventional endodontic retreatment and apical surgery were considered unfeasible.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Vital pulp therapy in cariously exposed permanent teeth and its limitations.

Vital pulp therapy for cariously exposed permanent teeth remains one of the most controversial areas in dentistry. Because a vital, functioning pulp is capable of initiating several defence mechanisms to protect the body from bacterial invasion, it is beneficial to preserve the vitality and health of an exposed pulp rather than replace it with a root filling material following pulp exposure. There is no consensus on the survival rate of formerly cariously exposed pulps. Observation time, judgement criteria, pulpotomy/pulp capping technique and, most importantly, pulpal status at the time of treatment, vary to a great extent amongst studies. In mature teeth, a pulp exposed by caries is usually removed and the root canals are cleaned, shaped and filled. Amongst the methods for preservation of a cariously exposed pulp, partial pulpotomy has yielded a markedly high success rate in young teeth. Major limitations in the success of vital pulp therapy in cariously exposed permanent teeth exist. The lack of predictability and long-term success greatly influence decision-making. The decision-making itself is unreliable primarily due to the difficulty of accurately diagnosing the ability of the pulp to repair. While there are indications for vital pulp therapy in young permanent molars, it must be remembered that ultimately, none of these procedures enjoy the long-term success of complete root canal therapy.

Age Factors↗