Addicted anaesthetists

Anaesthetists have a higher incidence of substance use disorder when compared with other doctors. This might be due to the ease of access to intravenous opioids, propofol, midazolam, inhalational agents and other anaesthetic drugs. Alcohol use disorder continues to be the most common problem. Unfortunately, the first sign that something is amiss might be the anaesthetist's death from an accidental or deliberate overdose. While there are few accurate data, suicide is presumed to be the cause of death in approximately 6-10% of all anaesthetists...

Following a 2-3-month period of publicity, anaesthetists were invited to participate in an online survey that was administered by a third party company on behalf of the Association of Anaesthetists and ran between 3 September and 31 October 2018. Anaesthetists working in the UK or Ireland were asked about the presence or absence of welfare/support structures or resources in their workplace in the case of mental illness, addiction and/or suicide. Anaesthetists working anywhere in the world were also asked for their experiences of a colleague's suicide, defined as a colleague's taking his or her own life - whether intentional or not - while practising as an anaesthetist in the UK or Ireland, in the same department and at the same time as the respondent...

BACKGROUND: Opioids are good painkillers, but many patients treated with opioids as painkillers developed a secondary addiction. These patients need to stop misusing opioids, but the mild-to-severe clinical symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal risk increasing their existing pain. In such cases, ketamine, which is used by anaesthetists and pain physicians to reduce opioid medication, may be an effective agent for managing opioid withdrawal. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a woman who developed a severe secondary addiction to opioids in the context of lombo-sciatic pain...

BACKGROUND: Somatic suffering concerns mental health in many ways, but numerous psychiatrists are still reluctant to take an interest in somatic care due to a supposed lack of expertise and an alteration of the psychotherapeutic link, whilst in parallel numerous fellow physicians are quite apprehensive about treating patients with mental disorders. OBJECTIVES: We have undertaken a targeted clinical audit regarding the somatic treatment of in-patients in a psychiatric unit to propose the implementation of measures of improvement...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Anaesthesiologists have a significantly higher frequency of substance abuse by a factor of nearly 3 when compared with other physicians. This is still a current problem that must be reviewed. RECENT FINDINGS: Many hypotheses have been formulated to explain why anaesthesiologists appear to be more susceptible to substance abuse than other medical professionals (genetic differences in sensitivity to opioids, stress, the association between chemical dependence and other psychopathology or the second-hand exposure hypothesis)...

Drug dependence of anaesthetists occurs more often than in other physicians, especially the noxious usage of common substances in anaesthesiology and pain management like opioids and anaesthetics. Opioids are the most frequent abusively taken medication followed by benzodiazepines, illegal drugs, Propofol and Ketamine. Determining for the behavioral pattern is the easy access to the drugs. Especially as some of the addictive-drugs (e. g. Propofol, Ketamine) are not underlying any release-control. Recent German surveys confirm the American figures...

Tobacco use is the leading preventable agent of death in the world. It is manufactured on a large scale in India and has a huge international market also. Death toll from tobacco use is on the rise. Use of tobacco is also increasing esp. in developing countries, in teenagers & in women, despite government, WHO and intervention by other statutory bodies. Prolonged use of tobacco or its products, as smoke or chew, endows significant risk of developing various diseases. With advances in surgical and anaethesia techniques & prolonged life expectancy, anaesthetist will be faced with management of these patients...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occupational hazards related to the practice of anaesthesia and to give the preventing measures related to these risks. DATA SOURCES: The Medline data bank, the specialized reviews of Occupational medicine and the bank of data of the Regional Case Disease in "Ile-de-France" were consulted. The key words employed separately or in combination were: anaesthesia, occupational hazards, anaesthetic gas, stress, working conditions, burnout, addiction, occupational blood exposure, latex allergy, ionizing radiation, electrocution, explosion...

Drug abuse is a significant social problem that can lead to serious obstetric complications, some of which may be confused with pregnancy-related disease states. Substance abuse poses a number of challenges with respect to the management of pain and the conduct of anaesthesia in the peripartum period. This review was based on information from a literature search of epidemiological, research and review papers on substance abuse during pregnancy, obtained for the purpose of preparing a background paper for the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy, Commonwealth Government of Australia...

The medical profession represents one of the groups of people who are not reached by the present help system for suicidal behaviour. The suicide rate of male physicians is slightly higher than that of the general population, while that of their female colleagues is clearly higher. This tendency is most pronounced in female psychiatrists and anaesthetists. In addition to the usual preventive measures such as the treatment of depression and addiction, the necessity of a qualified, professional treatment especially for doctors must be recognized because there is often a penchant for ineffective self-treatment...

The incidence of substance abuse amongst anaesthetists in the United Kingdom is unknown. In the interests of patient safety, it is essential that the dependent doctor is identified and entered into a treatment regime. No national strategy is in place to treat and, where possible, return the anaesthetist in recovery to work. It is important therefore, that individual employers have a standing operating procedure to deal with the addicted doctor. It is essential that the initial approach is made by a competent panel, each of whom has experience of dealing with dependent doctors...

An increase in illicit drug use in Northern Ireland may well have links to the resolution of political conflict, which started in the mid 1990s. Social issues, heretofore hidden, have emerged into the limelight and may be worsened by paramilitary involvement. Registered addicts in the four Health Board areas have shown an increase from 1997 with the greatest number resident within the Northern Board Area. As the prevalence of heroin use in Northern Ireland increased, the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) commissioned a report, to recommend the development of substitute prescribing services...

OBJECTIVE: Addiction behaviours in the anaesthetist population have been recognized as a significant health-related issue and its scope is a matter of concern. METHODS: A national survey conducted among French anaesthetists consisted of a questionnaire designed to elicit information related to demographics, and work conditions, as well as substance consumption status. The study investigated the following: tobacco, alcohol, tranquillizers-hypnotics, and other agents such as cannabis, cocaine, opiates and anaesthetic agents...

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Even if there are few scientific data about preoperative management of drug addict patients, a careful anesthesiology evaluation facilitates the prevention of interactions between drugs and anaesthetics and avoids intraoperative and postoperative complications. Moreover it is important to earn the confidence of patient in order to know the abuse substances consumed and the frequency of consumption. This knowledge is necessary to the anaesthetist in order to manage possible withdrawal syndromes or overdose, which are the two greatest dangers for a drug addict patient during the hospital stay...

Unwanted side-effects of anaesthetic drugs that occur during anaesthesia or during the post-operative recovery period are what concern anaesthesiologists and anaesthetists. Occupational risks are of concern to all health-care professionals who administer anaesthetics or who are incidentally exposed to anaesthetic gases. After regulatory requirements for marketing drugs are met, the qualitative and quantitative nature of side-effects of the drugs in the target population and the risk of incidental exposure of health-care professionals are generally well defined...

OBJECTIVE: No epidemiologic study or any other type of evaluation has been performed so far concerning substance abuse among french anaesthetists. We therefore reviewed the English literature to analyse relevant data on this topic. DATA SOURCES: A search for edited manuscripts dedicated to drug addiction in anaesthetists was conducted on Medline and Databases (Toxibase and ASA websites). STUDY SELECTION: Forty-two references related to this problem were selected noteworthy based on epidemiologic data provided...

We report a case of a probable interaction between sufentanil and naltrexone, an oral long acting opioid antagonist, prescribed for maintenance of abstinence in alcoholics and opioid addicts. The interaction resulted in an antagonisation of the effects of sufentanil and the necessity to increase the dosage. Anaesthetists should be aware of this potential drug interaction.

Cancer pain is prevalent and undertreated despite the availability of therapeutic options that, taken together are highly effective, economical and safe. Improved understanding of the pharmacology of chronically-administered opioids has resulted in reduced concerns about addiction and an increased emphasis on their use. The anaesthetist may play a pivotal role in cancer pain management by the provision of nerve blocks and other interventions, but, to be a truly effective consultant, must also be expert in all aspects of pharmacotherapy...

This survey aimed to determine what type of information patients want about the risks of postoperative pain management and whether this corresponded to the information that doctors and nurses wished to provide. Seventy-four patients scheduled for elective surgery, 50 nurses and 48 doctors completed a questionnaire asking about perceived risks of analgesia, level of acceptable risk and information that should be provided to patients. Compared to doctors and nurses, patients underestimated the risks associated with postoperative pain relief, except for the risk of drug addiction, which they rated higher...