The Clinician S Guide To Illicit Drugs And Health

A clear, concise introduction to substance abuse treatment for non-specialist physicians. Provides information on the nature of addiction, brain chemistry, pharmacology, current treatment protocols, and specific populations such as women, adolescents, and the aged.

"The second edition of Clinician's Guide to Evidence-Based Practices is the concise, practitioner-friendly guide to applying EBPs in mental health"--

Emerging illicit drugs pose a significant clinical challenge. This handbook offers an engaging, concise guide to managing these challenges.

The aim of our pocket guide is to provide "at a glance" key points for the busy clinician to access when dealing with a patient, presenting the pathologies pertinent to each drug, and options for the treatment of substance dependence. In the "The Pocket Guide to Drugs and Health" we have extended the drugs covered to include the major licit psychoactive drugs: alcohol, hypnosedatives, and nicotine & tobacco. Each major drug class is examined individually (Alcohol, Cannabis, Hallucinogens, Hypnosedatives, Nicotine & tobacco, New Psychoactive Substances, Opioids, Psychostimulants). In each chapter we present information on withdrawal and dependence syndromes, toxicity, the effects upon major organ systems, and psychiatric morbidities. There are also dedicated chapters on the medical complications of injecting drug use, and the treatment of drug dependence. It is our hope that this book will form a core pocket guide for medical practitioners, physicians in training and nurses.

Finally - a book that covers all aspects of the illicit use of cocaine, amphetamines, ecstasy and/or designer drugs such as GHB, written by two experts in their field. The use of these drugs remains a continuous threat in health and medical care delivery, and this book will be an essential asset to the physician who may have to face the evaluation of patients whose use of these drugs compromises an effective treatment plan for other health issues. The book has been conceived to fill the void in existing physician reference materials, and provides a comprehensive review of the theoretical knowledge and scope of pharmacotherapy in individuals who are hooked on a psychoactive substance. While detailed scientific information is obtainable in other major articles, the book's straightforward format and style, along with its illustrations, will make for easy reading as emphasis is put on information specifically related to drugs that occur most abused in today’s society. The information provided is based on clinical practice rather than pure experimental data, which will give the physician more effective tools useful in their daily practice. Many mechanisms of action of abuse are described in detail and references are provided to direct the reader to further sources for additional information. As a special feature, the book incorporates uncluttered tables and charts, which result in immediate clarification of the mode of action on the central nervous system and the reason for misuse, thus avoiding usual long and fatiguing text in common reference books. The book aims to give the reader a clear and concise plan on what to do when being faced with an overdose situation. A well-organized Table of Contents rapidly leads the reader from general pharmacological issues to the specific overdose syndrome and its management. Additionally, significant emphasis is placed on the practical do's and don’ts for physicians, with special reference to the predictive signs of aberrant drug-related behavior and the identification of the drug diverter by using urine drug screening.