Nurses must also mobilize
It is through a whole series of articles and studies that the Journal of Addictions Nursing, the official journal of the International Nurses Society on Addictions, gives us a nursing perspective on the opioid crisis. A crisis that today affects Europe as much as the United States. This edition thus documents the unique role to be played by nurses specializing in addiction in the care of the patients concerned.
"The opioid crisis is at the forefront of the debate on drug use in the United States and around the world", recalls the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Addictions Nursing who offers with this special issue, 7 studies that remind and raise awareness of other pain management alternatives but also to the programs already developed to reduce overdose and death rates among addicted users. Some examples of needs and interventions are given with:
- the need for social support of women undergoing methadone maintenance treatment for an opioid use disorder (OUD);
- the need to integrate information on drug treatments and other evidence-based therapies into nursing studies, for better management of OUD;
- reviewing the evidence for the effectiveness of naloxone in preventing the risk of fatal overdose in people who use opioids;
- the need to specifically train emergency service personnel on the prescription of opioids, and nursing personnel on the management of overdoses;
- screening children with opioid addiction;
- evaluating an overdose prevention program, including the prescription of naloxone, for homeless adults who use opioids;
- the example of an education intervention on opioid overdose and the distribution of naloxone to primary care health professionals…
Finally, the question is posed of the interaction between opioid use disorder and other conditions
, most commonly HIV infection and suicide. Efforts to overcome barriers to accessing care for OUD, particularly the stigma associated with this condition. And, of course, the role of the addiction nurse to help the patients concerned and optimize the withdrawal protocol. Physicians and nurses are encouraged to consider the necessary management of psychiatric disorders that often accompany the management of this use disorder, education and support for patients and families.
" We each have a responsibility to take action to address opioid issues, wherever we work, wherever we exert our influence ."
Is opioid use disorder an epidemic?
Opioid use disorder and opioid addiction remain at epidemic levels in the US and worldwide. Three million US citizens and 16 million individuals worldwide have had or currently suffer from opioid use disorder (OUD). More than 500,000 in the United States are dependent on heroin.
Why are overdoses increasing during pandemic?
Reasons for increased drug overdose rates during the COVID-19 pandemic are multifaceted and may be in part due to reduced access to health care and recovery support services.
Is OxyContin still prescribed?
OxyContin, a trade name for the narcotic oxycodone hydrochloride, is a painkiller available in the United States only by prescription. OxyContin is legitimately prescribed for relief of moderate to severe pain resulting from injuries, bursitis, neuralgia, arthritis, and cancer.
What is the first step to responding to an opioid overdose?
The steps outlined in this section are recommended to reduce the number of deaths resulting from opioid overdoses.
- STEP 1: EVALUATE FOR SIGNS OF OPIOID OVERDOSE. ...
- STEP 2: CALL 911 FOR HELP.
- STEP 3: ADMINISTER NALOXONE. ...
- STEP 4: SUPPORT THE PERSON'S BREATHING. ...
- STEP 5: MONITOR THE PERSON'S RESPONSE.
What country consumes the most prescription drugs?
Prescription drug statistics 2022
- Data suggests that among those who take prescription medications, the average number of medications taken is four. ...
- Research on prescription drug spending suggests that the United States consumes the most prescription drugs.
What drugs can replace opioids?
What are some alternatives to opioids? There are many non-opioid pain medications that are available over the counter or by prescription, such as ibuprofen (Motrin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin (Bayer), and steroids, and some patients find that these are all they need.
What is source of opioids?
Opioids are a class of drugs naturally found in the opium poppy plant. Some prescription opioids are made from the plant directly, and others are made by scientists in labs using the same chemical structure.
What drugs are opioids?
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others.
When was opioid first used?
In 1803 morphine, an opioid analgesic, was extracted from opium by Friedrich Serturner of Germany; Dr. Charles Wood, a Scottish physician, invented the hyperdermic needle and used it to inject morphine to relieve pain from neuralgia;
How many people are addicted to opioids?
An estimated 2 million people in the United States have a substance use disorder related to prescription opioid pain medication and the number of overdose deaths from prescription and illicit opioids doubled from just over 21,000 in 2010 to more than 42,000 in 2016.
How can you prevent opioid death?
The best ways to prevent opioid overdose deaths are to improve opioid prescribing, reduce exposure to opioids, prevent misuse, and treat opioid use disorder. Recognizing an opioid overdose can be difficult. If you aren't sure, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose—you could save a life.
How did Covid 19 affect the opioid crisis?
The increase in opioid overdose deaths (OODs) during the pandemic has been attributed to various factors: reduced access to interventions, increased levels of stress due to isolation and loss of mental health support, and changes in the types/combinations and purity of drugs and patterns of drug use.
Who is fighting the opioid crisis?
CDC is committed to fighting the opioid overdose epidemic and supporting states and communities as they continue work to identify outbreaks, collect data, respond to overdoses, and provide care to those in their communities.
What is the main cause of opioid deaths?
Opioid overdose deaths are usually caused by fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, heroin, and/or prescription opioids that may or may not have been prescribed to a person. They can happen anywhere. Common settings where overdose deaths occur include private residences, hospitals, and in other public community settings.
