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The epidemiology of benzodiazepine misuse: A systematic review.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Benzodiazepine misuse is a growing public health problem, with increases in benzodiazepine-related overdose deaths and emergency room visits in recent years. However, relatively little attention has been paid to this emergent problem. We systematically reviewed epidemiological studies on benzodiazepine misuse to identify key findings, limitations, and future directions for research. METHODS:PubMed and PsychINFO databases were searched through February 2019 for peer-reviewed publications on benzodiazepine misuse (e.g., use without a prescription; at a higher frequency or dose than prescribed). Eligibility criteria included human studies that focused on the prevalence, trends, correlates, motives, patterns, sources, and consequences of benzodiazepine misuse. RESULTS:The search identified 1970 publications, and 351 articles were eligible for data extraction and inclusion. In 2017, benzodiazepines and other tranquilizers were the third most commonly misused illicit or prescription drug in the U.S. (approximately 2.2% of the population). Worldwide rates of misuse appear to be similar to those reported in the U.S. Factors associated with misuse include other substance use, receipt of a benzodiazepine prescription, and psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Benzodiazepine misuse encompasses heterogeneous presentations of motives, patterns, and sources. Moreover, misuse is associated with myriad poor outcomes, including mortality, HIV/HCV risk behaviors, poor self-reported quality of life, criminality, and continued substance use during treatment. CONCLUSIONS:Benzodiazepine misuse is a worldwide public health concern that is associated with a number of concerning consequences. Findings from the present review have implications for identifying subgroups who could benefit from prevention and treatment efforts, critical points for intervention, and treatment targets.

SUBMITTER: Votaw VR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6639084 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The epidemiology of benzodiazepine misuse: A systematic review.

Votaw Victoria R VR Geyer Rachel R Rieselbach Maya M MM McHugh R Kathryn RK

Drug and alcohol dependence 20190507

<h4>Background</h4>Benzodiazepine misuse is a growing public health problem, with increases in benzodiazepine-related overdose deaths and emergency room visits in recent years. However, relatively little attention has been paid to this emergent problem. We systematically reviewed epidemiological studies on benzodiazepine misuse to identify key findings, limitations, and future directions for research.<h4>Methods</h4>PubMed and PsychINFO databases were searched through February 2019 for peer-revi ...[more]

PMID: 31121495

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Project description:BACKGROUND: Worldwide, there are an estimated 15 million individuals with drug use disorders and over five times as many with alcohol use disorders (WHO 1:2, 2005). Most individuals with substance misuse have families who are affected. Initial scoping searches identified an expanse of broad and disparate studies and reviews on the family interventions for substance misuse. This systematic review of systematic reviews aims to bring together the expanse of research on the effectiveness of family-based interventions in substance misuse.Initial scoping searches identified an expanse of broad and disparate studies and reviews on the family interventions for substance misuse. This systematic review of systematic reviews aims to bring together the expanse of research on the effectiveness of family-based interventions in substance misuse. METHODS: Extensive electronic and manual searches will be undertaken. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment will be undertaken by two reviewers with disagreements resolved through discussion.The inclusion criteria will be that the study is a systematically undertaken review, the population is individuals with substance misuse problems and the interventions include a family-focused component. Reviews that focus on prevention rather than treatment will be excluded. The reviews will be assessed for quality and relevance. The evidence from included systematic reviews will be mapped by focus of intervention (promoting engagement of user into treatment/joint involvement in treatment of user/treating family member in own right) for both adults and adolescents for drug and/or alcohol misusers to allow assessment of the density of available evidence. The higher-quality, up-to-date evidence for each domain will be identified and described, and conclusions will be drawn with limitations of the evidence highlighted. DISCUSSION: This systematic review of systematic reviews will be an efficient and robust way of looking at the current state of the evidence in the field of family-based interventions for substance misuse. It will evaluate all the available systematic-review-level literature to report on the effectiveness of family-based psychological interventions in improving substance-related outcomes and improving health and wellbeing of substance misusers and/or their families. This will inform future treatment policies and commissioning decisions.In addition, it will identify areas of poor quality, inconsistency and gaps in the evidence base for family-based psychological interventions in substance misuse with respect to secondary evidence in order to inform future research. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42014006834.

Project description:Background: Infections caused by antibiotic resistance pose a serious global health threat, undermining our ability to treat common infections and deliver complex medical procedures. Antibiotic misuse, particularly in low--middle-income countries, is accelerating this problem. Aim: The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the use and misuse of antibiotics in dentistry in India. Method: We included studies carried out on Indian populations evaluating the prescription of prophylactic or therapeutic antibiotics by dental practitioners or other healthcare providers, along with antibiotic self-medication by the general population. The primary outcome measure was prescription rate/use of antibiotics for dental/oral problems. The secondary outcome measures included indications for antibiotic use in dentistry, their types and regimens, factors influencing practitioners' prescription patterns and any differences based on prescriber and patient characteristics. Multiple databases were searched with no restrictions on language or publication date. The quality assessment of all included studies was carried out using the AXIS tool for cross-sectional studies and the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for qualitative studies. Results: Of the 1377 studies identified, 50 were eligible for review, comprising 35 questionnaire surveys, 14 prescription audits and one qualitative study (semi-structured interviews). The overall quality of the included studies was found to be low to moderate. The proportion of antibiotic prescriptions amongst all prescriptions made was found to range from 27% to 88%, with most studies reporting antibiotics in over half of all prescriptions; studies also reported a high proportion of prescriptions with a fixed dose drug combination. Worryingly, combination doses not recommended by the WHO AWaRe classification were being used. The rate of antibiotic self-medication reported for dental problems varied from 5% to 35%. Conclusions: Our review identified the significant misuse of antibiotics for dental diseases, with inappropriate use therapeutically and prophylactically, the use of broad spectrum and combination antibiotics not recommended by WHO, and self-medication by the general population. There is an urgent need for targeted stewardship programmes in this arena.

Project description:ObjectiveUnderstanding the effects of benzodiazepines (BZDs) on maternal/fetal health remains incomplete despite their frequent use. This article quantifies the effects of antenatal BZD exposure on delivery outcomes.MethodsData sourcesMedline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched till June 30, 2018.Study selectionEnglish-language cohort studies comparing antenatal BZD exposure to an unexposed group on any delivery outcome were eligible. In all, 23,909 records were screened, 56 studies were assessed, and 14 studies were included.Data extractionTwo reviewers independently assessed quality and extracted data. Estimates were pooled using random effects meta-analysis. Sub-analyses examined several potential moderators including timing of exposure.ResultsThere were 9 outcomes with sufficient data for meta-analysis. Antenatal BZD exposure was significantly associated with increased risk of 6 outcomes initially: spontaneous abortion (pooled odds ratio = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43 to 2.42), preterm birth (1.96; 95% CI, 1.25 to 3.08), low birth weight (2.24; 95% CI, 1.41 to 3.88), low Apgar score (2.19; 95% CI, 1.94 to 2.47), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission (2.61; 95% CI, 1.64 to 4.14), and induced abortion (2.04; 95% CI, 1.23 to 3.40). There was significant heterogeneity between studies for most outcomes without consistent moderators. Birth weight (mean difference [MD]: -151.35 g; 95% CI, -329.73 to 27.03), gestational age (-0.49 weeks; 95% CI, -1.18 to 0.19), and small for gestational age (SGA; 1.42; 95% CI, 1.00 to 2.01) did not show significant associations although after adjusting for publication bias, gestational age, and SGA became significant, totaling 8 significant outcomes.ConclusionsAntenatal BZD exposure appears to be statistically associated with increased risk of several adverse perinatal outcomes. Although confounds cannot be ruled out, NICU admission does appear clinically relevant and consistent with the antidepressant literature.

Project description:BackgroundPodoconiosis is one of the few diseases that could potentially be eliminated within one generation. Nonetheless, the global distribution of the disease remains largely unknown. The global atlas of podoconiosis was conceived to define the epidemiology and distribution of podoconiosis through dedicated surveys and assembling the available epidemiological data.MethodsWe have synthesized the published literature on the epidemiology of podoconiosis. Through systematic searches in SCOPUS and MEDLINE from inception to February 14, 2018, we identified observational and population-based studies reporting podoconiosis. To establish existence of podoconiosis, we used case reports and presence data. For a study to be included in the prevalence synthesis, it needed to be a population-based survey that involved all residents within a specific area. Studies that did not report original data were excluded. We undertook descriptive analyses of the extracted data. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42018084959.ResultsWe identified 3,260 records, of which 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. Podoconiosis was described to exist or be endemic in 32 countries, 18 from the African Region, 3 from Asia and 11 from Latin America. Overall, podoconiosis prevalence ranged from 0·10% to 8.08%, was highest in the African region, and was substantially higher in adults than in children and adolescents. The highest reported prevalence values were in Africa (8.08% in Cameroon, 7.45% in Ethiopia, 4.52% in Uganda, 3.87% in Kenya and 2.51% in Tanzania). In India, a single prevalence of 0.21% was recorded from Manipur, Mizoram and Rajasthan states. None of the Latin American countries reported prevalence data.ConclusionOur data suggest that podoconiosis is more widespread in the African Region than in the rest of the regions, although this could be related to the fact that most podoconiosis epidemiological research has been focused in the African continent. The assembled dataset confirms that comprehensive podoconiosis control strategies such as promotion of footwear and personal hygiene are urgently needed in endemic parts of Africa. Mapping, active surveillance and a systematic approach to the monitoring of disease burden must accompany the implementation of podoconiosis control activities.

Project description:AIMS:Employers in the United States incur substantial costs associated with substance use disorders. Our goal was to examine the effectiveness of employer-led interventions to reduce the adverse effects of drug misuse in the workplace. METHODS:We conducted a systematic review of studies that evaluated the effectiveness of recommended workplace interventions for opioids and related drugs: employee education, drug testing, employee assistance programs, supervisor training, written workplace drug-free policy, and restructuring employee health benefit plans. We searched PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE (embase.com), PsycINFO (Ebsco), ABI Inform Global, Business Source Premier, EconLit, CENTRAL, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), Scopus (Elsevier), Proquest Dissertations, and Epistemonikos from inception through May 8, 2019, with no date or language restrictions. We included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and cross-sectional studies with no language or date restrictions. The Downs and Black questionnaire was used to assess the quality of included studies. The results were reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS:In all, 27 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Results were mixed, with each intervention shown to be effective in at least one study, but none showing effectiveness in over 50% of studies. Studies examining the impact of interventions on workplace injuries or accidents were more commonly reported to be effective. Although four studies were randomized controlled trials, the quality of all included studies was "fair" or "poor." CONCLUSIONS:Despite the opioid epidemic, high-quality studies evaluating the effectiveness of employer-led interventions to prevent or reduce the adverse effects of substance use are lacking. Higher quality and mixed methods studies are needed to determine whether any of the interventions are generalizable and whether contextual adaptations are needed. In the meantime, there is a reason to believe that commonly recommended, employer-led interventions may be effective in some environments.

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The epidemiology of benzodiazepine misuse: A systematic review.

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The epidemiology of benzodiazepine misuse: A systematic review.

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