Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Opioid Overdose: Rural Georgia Vs. Urban Georgia - Who's Winning The Battle?, Zizah-Wosseni Blair, Justice Dove, Didem Aydin, Stacie Fairley

Research Day

INTRODUCTION: The opioid crisis is a major public health issue affecting communities across the United States, including Georgia. The widespread misuse of prescription and illicit opioids has led to a significant increase in opioid-related overdoses and deaths. The impact on Georgia communities has been devastating, affecting individuals from all walks of life and causing significant harm to families and communities. The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the number of drug overdose deaths in the state rose by 61.9% from 2019 to 2021. Rural and Urban communities in Georgia face unique challenges in addressing this epidemic. Rural communities often …

Community Paramedicine To Proactively Combat Opioid Overdoses, Jeffrey Kalczynski, Justin Canakis, Novneet Sahu

Research Day

The growing problem of opioid overdoses has traditionally been combated with a reactive approach. In New Castle County, DE, a Community Paramedicine program has been implemented to make an attempt at stopping overdoses before they happen. Community Paramedicine is a mobile integrated health program that trains paramedics to visit and treat high risk patients at their homes on a non emergent basis. The aim is to prevent acute exacerbation of chronic disease. In other jurisdictions, this model has been used in an effort to reduce abuse of the 911 system and Emergency Department by "high utilizers" of the 911 system. …

Is Acupuncture Effective In Reducing Opioid Cravings In Detoxifying Opioid Abusing Adults?, Sarah Kish

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Is acupuncture effective in reducing opioid cravings in detoxifying opioid abusing adults?”

STUDY DESIGN: A review of three RCTs published in English, each of which was published in 2009, 2013 and 2014 respectively.

DATA SOURCES: Three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in peer-reviewed journals that evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture to reduce opioid cravings found via PubMed and ScienceDirect.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Opioid cravings via 100 millimeter analog scale score, the Maudsely craving score consisting of five-point Likert scales and withdraw symptoms as measured by a 4-point …

Are Naltrexone Implants More Effective Than Oral Drug And/Or Behavioral Therapy At Reducing Heroin Use In Recovering Heroin Dependent Adults?, Amy K. Makl

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine review is to determine whether or not a naltrexone implant is more effective than oral drug therapy and/or behavioral therapy at reducing heroin use in recovering heroin dependent adults.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three English language primary studies published from 2007 to 2010.

DATA SOURCE: Three randomized controlled trails comparing naltrexone implants to oral naltrexone, methadone, and usual aftercare found using Ovid, Pub med and Cochrane databases

OUTCOME MEASURED: The primary outcomes measured by all three studies all three articles measured frequency of heroin use by self report

RESULTS: Hulse et …