Question

** Summarize the following paragraphs in ONE PARAGRAPH please. **

The opioid crisis in the United States continues unabated despite an overall reduction in the number of prescriptions for opioid analgesics written over the past 5 years.¹ If nothing changes, opioid deaths are predicted to increase almost 100% by between 2016 and 2025 and the number of persons using illicit opioids will increase 61% by the same date.² The number of persons who inject drugs continues to increase, with many of these persons reporting that they used prescription opioid analgesics before they started using heroin. A less-discussed complication of the opioid crisis that may be just as lethal is the increase in serious infections in persons who inject drugs.³ Hospitalizations for infective endocarditis associated with injection drug use increased 50% between 2002 and 2012.³ Admissions for osteomyelitis and septic arthritis increased 54% and 63%, respectively, over the same period.³ Patients with untreated opioid use disorder often receive suboptimal care for their serious infections.⁴ Onset of withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids generally occur within 4 to 12 hours after the last use of an opioid, depending on the substance used. Patients who inject drugs are more likely to leave the hospital before completing a course of treatment or may be unable to comply with outpatient discharge instructions and are at higher risk of reinfection, readmission, or death. Patients who are referred for an addiction medicine consultation are less likely to leave the hospital against medical advice.⁵ The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to develop a response to the increase in hospitalizations for infections of patients who inject drugs.⁶ The workshops resulted in several recommended action steps. Action step 4 calls for all prescribers and other personnel to receive training on Drug Addiction Treatment Act waivers. Clinicians also should be trained on how to safely prescribe methadone to patients before patients are discharged from the hospital.

WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK?

Historically, the amount of time dedicated to education on screening for, diagnosing, and treating substance use disorder is limited in the medical curriculum.⁷ Students may attach a stigma to patients with substance use disorders.⁸ A survey of general internists found that almost a third felt that opioid use disorder was different from other chronic conditions because they believed it was a choice.⁹ Fourteen percent of the respondents felt that medication-assisted treatment was substituting one drug for another.⁹ Twelve percent of hospitalists and 6% of primary care providers believed that persons using drugs committed a crime and should be punished.⁹ Only 9% of the sample felt they were prepared to discuss medication treatments for patients with opioid use disorder.

WHY SHOULD THIS MATTER TO YOU?

Whether you are practicing in primary care, emergency medicine, or a hospital-based specialty, you will encounter patients with opioid use disorder.¹⁰ Clinicians must be able to screen patients for substance use disorders, diagnose patients with opioid use disorder, and manage these patients, whether by treating withdrawal symptoms, initiating medication-assisted treatment (MAT), or referring them to an appropriate level of care. Hospital providers are authorized, without the need for a waiver, to use either methadone or buprenorphine to treat withdrawal symptoms in their patients. However, waiver training gives clinicians the knowledge to use these medications appropriately.¹¹

Answer 1

Answer: Although there have been many restrictions regarding the use of the opioids , still there is increase misuse of the opioids. It has been stated that if this would not be stopped, it would lead to major fatalities and will increase the death rate by 100% . Admissions for osteomyelitis and septic arthritis increased 54% and 63%, respectively, over the same period. To prevent the misuse of the drugs, the certain level of the addiction, federal government along with the clinicians should work together. One of the method that could lead to reduce the risk of the drug misuse is that the clinicians and healthcare professionals must be able to screen patients for substance use disorders, diagnose patients with opioid use disorder, and manage these patients, whether by treating withdrawal symptoms, initiating medication-assisted treatment (MAT), or referring them to an appropriate level of care. A proper training should be provided to the healthcare professionals regarding this.