NCJ Number
171815
Journal
Substance Use and Misuse Volume: 33 Issue: 6 Dated: (1998) Pages: 1375-1385
Date Published
1998
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Interviews with all 265 persons being treated for orthopedic and chronic pain at an orthopedic ward of a hospital in Sweden in 1992 formed the basis of an analysis of their use of analgesics and the incidence of analgesic use disorders.
Abstract
The interviews used a structured diagnostic instrument. The participants ranged in age from 19 to 68 years and that 61.5 percent were female and 38.5 percent were male. In addition, 22 percent of the participants met the criteria in DSM-III-R for analgesic use disorders and that 18.5 percent fulfilled the criteria in DSM-IV. Moreover, dextropropoxyphene was the most common analgesic prescribed and was used by 47 percent of the persons who met the criteria for analgesic use disorders. Results indicated that persons who have chronic pain and are using narcotic analgesics are at considerable risk of developing analgesic use disorders. Therefore, assessment of the use of analgesics should be offered to persons taking narcotic drugs for pain. Figure, tables, author photographs and biographies, and 18 references (Author abstract modified)