Background and Objectives: Individuals exposed to fentanyl are at risk of precipitated withdrawal using typical buprenorphine/ naloxone induction procedures. Methods: This case series describes buprenorphine/naloxone inductions of four individuals who tested positive for fentanyl. Results: Buprenorphine-precipitated withdrawal was observed in two individuals who completed a conventional buprenorphine/ naloxone induction strategy. Two more individuals completed a revised buprenorphine/naloxone induction strategy that did not precipitate withdrawal. Discussion and Conclusion: Using multiple 2 mg doses of buprenorphine/naloxone in patients already in mild/moderate withdrawal improved outcomes. Scientific Significance: Persons who use illicit fentanyl might be less likely to experience precipitated withdrawal from this revised buprenorphine/naloxone induction strategy.
Objectives: The novel 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has caused considerable upheaval in the U.S. healthcare system. The current study examined patient-reported experiences in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis. Methods: Participants in SUD treatment were recruited via online crowdsourcing from April 14, 2020 to May 26, 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis. Participants reported disruptions in SUD treatment, stress and anxiety caused by these disruptions on a 0-100 point visual analogue scale (VAS), stress associated with childcare responsibilities on a 0-100 VAS, current stress on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), anxiety symptoms on the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), sleep disturbances on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and whether they used drugs or alcohol during the COVID-19 crisis. Results: Participants (N ¼ 240) endorsed that at least 1 SUD treatment was switched to telemedicine (63.7%), had some appointments cancelled (37.5%), or was discontinued due to COVID-19 (29.6%). Participants who did versus did not endorse drug/alcohol use reported difficulty obtaining medications to treat their SUD (OR ¼ 2.47, 95%
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