UTAK Blog http://blog.utak.com Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:12:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Spice Linked to Kidney Failure http://blog.utak.com/spice-linked-to-kidney-failure.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spice-linked-to-kidney-failure http://blog.utak.com/spice-linked-to-kidney-failure.html#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:00:16 +0000 Ashley Metcalf http://blog.utak.com/?p=954 Spice, which is also known as synthetic marijuana, has now been linked to kidney failure.

Three people and a dozen others in Caper, Wyoming have been hospitalized in an outbreak linked to a blueberry flavored batch of Spice.  The cause of the outbreak is officially under investigation but those who sought medical attention had . . . → Read More: Spice Linked to Kidney Failure]]> Spice, which is also known as synthetic marijuana, has now been linked to kidney failure.

Three people and a dozen others in Caper, Wyoming have been hospitalized in an outbreak linked to a blueberry flavored batch of Spice.  The cause of the outbreak is officially under investigation but those who sought medical attention had recently smoked or ingested a product packaged as “Blueberry Spice”.

Tracy Murphy, Wyoming’s state epidemiologist, said “we are viewing use of this drug as a potentially life-threatening situation”.

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Wyoming Kidney Failure Outbreak Linked to Spice Drug

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]]> http://blog.utak.com/spice-linked-to-kidney-failure.html/feed 0 Sunlight, Vitamin D and the Risk of Stroke http://blog.utak.com/sunlight-vitamin-d-and-the-risk-of-stroke.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sunlight-vitamin-d-and-the-risk-of-stroke http://blog.utak.com/sunlight-vitamin-d-and-the-risk-of-stroke.html#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:06:46 +0000 Shawn Magsig http://blog.utak.com/?p=920 Could a lack of exposure to sunlight lead to an elevated risk of stroke?

New research suggests yes.

This examination of sunlight exposure indicates that there may be some positive results to ultraviolet rays, besides a good tan.

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Lack of Sunlight May Raise Stroke Risk

 

. . . → Read More: Sunlight, Vitamin D and the Risk of Stroke]]> Vitamin D Controls, Vitamin D Gold Standard, Vitamin D Centaur
Could a lack of exposure to sunlight lead to an elevated risk of stroke?

New research suggests yes.

This examination of sunlight exposure indicates that there may be some positive results to ultraviolet rays, besides a good tan.

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Lack of Sunlight May Raise Stroke Risk

 


]]> http://blog.utak.com/sunlight-vitamin-d-and-the-risk-of-stroke.html/feed 0 Hydrocodone and Benzodiazepines: Defense Department to Expand Drug Testing http://blog.utak.com/hydrocodone-and-benzodiazepines-defense-department-to-expand-drug-testing.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hydrocodone-and-benzodiazepines-defense-department-to-expand-drug-testing http://blog.utak.com/hydrocodone-and-benzodiazepines-defense-department-to-expand-drug-testing.html#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:11:26 +0000 Tim Nelson http://blog.utak.com/?p=913 In move to keep up with the ever-changing face of drug abuse, the Defense Department just announced that its drug testing program is expanding to add screening procedures for hydrocodone and benzodiazepines.

Hydrocodone is the main component of a number of prescription painkillers, while benzodiazepines are a class of psychoactive drugs that includes Librium, . . . → Read More: Hydrocodone and Benzodiazepines: Defense Department to Expand Drug Testing]]> In move to keep up with the ever-changing face of drug abuse, the Defense Department just announced that its drug testing program is expanding to add screening procedures for hydrocodone and benzodiazepines.

Hydrocodone is the main component of a number of prescription painkillers, while benzodiazepines are a class of psychoactive drugs that includes Librium, Valium, Klonopin, and Xanax.

Currently, hydrocodone and benzodiazepines are among the most abused prescription drugs in the United States. As drug abuse evolves, so must testing programs by adding more testing procedures.

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]]> http://blog.utak.com/hydrocodone-and-benzodiazepines-defense-department-to-expand-drug-testing.html/feed 0 Pain Management: Love and Other Drugs http://blog.utak.com/pain-management-love-and-other-drugs.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pain-management-love-and-other-drugs http://blog.utak.com/pain-management-love-and-other-drugs.html#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:02:53 +0000 Ashley Metcalf http://blog.utak.com/?p=870 Can a strong, healthy passionate relationship reduce pain?

Yes, according to a Stanford School of Medicine research study.  The research showed that the areas of the brain activated by intense love are the same areas that analgesic drugs use to reduce pain.

The problem, of course, is that this type of love rarely lasts . . . → Read More: Pain Management: Love and Other Drugs]]> Can a strong, healthy passionate relationship reduce pain?

Yes, according to a Stanford School of Medicine research study.  The research showed that the areas of the brain activated by intense love are the same areas that analgesic drugs use to reduce pain.

The problem, of course, is that this type of love rarely lasts more than a year, and often leads to a different, yet more intense pain…broken hearts.

Being that intense love and pain reduction are activated by the same areas of the brain, a new area of research could involve treating the condition of love with pain management drugs.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

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]]> http://blog.utak.com/pain-management-love-and-other-drugs.html/feed 0 Opioids and Oral Fluid: SAMHSA Approves DTAB Recommendations for Workplace Drug Testing http://blog.utak.com/opioids-and-oral-fluid-samhsa-approves-dtab-recommendations-for-workplace-drug-testing.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=opioids-and-oral-fluid-samhsa-approves-dtab-recommendations-for-workplace-drug-testing http://blog.utak.com/opioids-and-oral-fluid-samhsa-approves-dtab-recommendations-for-workplace-drug-testing.html#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:32:07 +0000 Tim Nelson http://blog.utak.com/?p=835 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently announced that it has accepted the recommendations of its technical advisory committee, the Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB).

The first recommendation was to evaluate the scientific sufficiency of oral fluid as an alternative specimen to urine for workplace drug testing.  The second recommendation was . . . → Read More: Opioids and Oral Fluid: SAMHSA Approves DTAB Recommendations for Workplace Drug Testing]]> The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently announced that it has accepted the recommendations of its technical advisory committee, the Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB).

The first recommendation was to evaluate the scientific sufficiency of oral fluid as an alternative specimen to urine for workplace drug testing.  The second recommendation was to include additional Schedule II prescription medications in the Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs.

Evaluating oral fluid as an alternative specimen to urine is important because oral fluid specimens are more difficult to compromise.  In addition, there are less privacy concerns with oral fluid collection.

Adding prescription opioid drugs (e.g. hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone) to the guidelines is a clear indication that SAMHSA understands, and is taking steps to keep up with, the changing face of drug abuse.

If implemented, both measures should strengthen existing drug of abuse prevention programs.  Although additional procedural hurdles need to be cleared, the future of federally-regulated drug testing in the United States is on the precipice of change.

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]]> http://blog.utak.com/opioids-and-oral-fluid-samhsa-approves-dtab-recommendations-for-workplace-drug-testing.html/feed 0 US Defense Department Seeks Test to Smoke-out Spice Users http://blog.utak.com/us-defense-department-seeks-test-to-smoke-out-spice-users.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=us-defense-department-seeks-test-to-smoke-out-spice-users http://blog.utak.com/us-defense-department-seeks-test-to-smoke-out-spice-users.html#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:29:32 +0000 Tim Nelson http://blog.utak.com/?p=817 The Defense Department has teamed up with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to develop a reliable test to catch service members who smoke synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice.

Marilyn Huestis, NIDA’s chemistry and metabolic chief, confirmed that NIDA has an inter-agency agreement with the DoD. However, she did not state when . . . → Read More: US Defense Department Seeks Test to Smoke-out Spice Users]]> The Defense Department has teamed up with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to develop a reliable test to catch service members who smoke synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice.

Marilyn Huestis, NIDA’s chemistry and metabolic chief, confirmed that NIDA has an inter-agency agreement with the DoD. However, she did not state when a reliable test would be developed.

NIDA Researchers began the study in June of 2011 to determine screening procedures, testing parameters and “the more appropriate windows of detection … and what those detection windows should be,” Huestis said. The research work will hopefully include alternate ways to screen for Spice, such as oral fluid testing.

Service members (and the general public) prefer Spice because up until this past year there was no way to detect it with urine tests. A test was only developed after the Drug Enforcement Administration put a one-year emergency ban on five chemicals found in Spice formulations.

Further complicating these efforts to smoke out Spice users is the fact that there are more than 200 other chemicals used in over-the-counter Spice formulations. For the most part, these chemicals remain legal while the effects on the mind and body remain largely unknown.

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DOD Seeks New Test to Bust Spice Users

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]]> http://blog.utak.com/us-defense-department-seeks-test-to-smoke-out-spice-users.html/feed 0 Spice: Synthetic Marijuana a Growing Problem for US Military http://blog.utak.com/spice-synthetic-marijuana-a-growing-problem-for-us-military.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spice-synthetic-marijuana-a-growing-problem-for-us-military http://blog.utak.com/spice-synthetic-marijuana-a-growing-problem-for-us-military.html#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:10:32 +0000 Jim Plutchak http://blog.utak.com/?p=795 Three years ago, only 29 Marines and sailors were investigated for abusing a drug referred to as Spice. In 2011, over 700 Navy personnel were investigated for Spice abuse.

Spice is made up of exotic plants from Asia and was designed to mimic marijuana. The leaves of these exotic plants are then coated . . . → Read More: Spice: Synthetic Marijuana a Growing Problem for US Military]]> Spice Synthetic Marijuana
Three years ago, only 29 Marines and sailors were investigated for abusing a drug referred to as Spice. In 2011, over 700 Navy personnel were investigated for Spice abuse.

Spice is made up of exotic plants from Asia and was designed to mimic marijuana. The leaves of these exotic plants are then coated with chemicals that simulate the effects of marijuana when smoked.  However, smoking Spice can bring on hallucinations that last for days due to a potency that is up to 200 times stronger than marijuana.

Spice is available on the Internet and has become very popular in recent years, but its use among troops and sailors has raised concerns at the Pentagon.  In fact, the abuse of Spice has alarmed military officials to the point that they launched an aggressive testing program that investigated over 1,100 suspected users in 2011 alone.

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‘Synthetic’ Marijuana is Problem for US Military

 

 

 


]]> http://blog.utak.com/spice-synthetic-marijuana-a-growing-problem-for-us-military.html/feed 0 Potential Benefits of Pure Hydrocodone Formulation Seen in Clinical Trial http://blog.utak.com/potential-benefits-of-pure-hydrocodone-formulation-seen-in-clinical-trial.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=potential-benefits-of-pure-hydrocodone-formulation-seen-in-clinical-trial http://blog.utak.com/potential-benefits-of-pure-hydrocodone-formulation-seen-in-clinical-trial.html#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:01:41 +0000 Shawn Magsig http://blog.utak.com/?p=773 As a follow up to our post regarding Zohydro, a pure formulation of hydrocodone, this article explains the potential benefits of “the first single-entity hydrocodone” treatment.

Current prescribed formulations of hydrocodone typically contain other non-opioid compounds like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, both often added to discourage recreational use. However, oversuse of acetaminophen is the most . . . → Read More: Potential Benefits of Pure Hydrocodone Formulation Seen in Clinical Trial]]> As a follow up to our post regarding Zohydro, a pure formulation of hydrocodone, this article explains the potential benefits of “the first single-entity hydrocodone” treatment.

Current prescribed formulations of hydrocodone typically contain other non-opioid compounds like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, both often added to discourage recreational use. However, oversuse of acetaminophen is the most common cause of acute liver damage in the United States.  In addition, the FDA recently recommended limiting the dose of acetaminophen to 325 mg in combined prescription products

Potential Benefits of New Hydrocodone Formulation Seen in Clinical Trial

 

 

 


]]> http://blog.utak.com/potential-benefits-of-pure-hydrocodone-formulation-seen-in-clinical-trial.html/feed 0 Propofol: An Analytical and Legal Challenge http://blog.utak.com/propofol-an-analytical-and-legal-challenge.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=propofol-an-analytical-and-legal-challenge http://blog.utak.com/propofol-an-analytical-and-legal-challenge.html#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:51:34 +0000 Shawn Magsig http://blog.utak.com/?p=764 With recent high profile cases (Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson) involving the strong anesthetic Propofol, this article in Forensic Magazine offers a timely perspective of the analytical and legal challenges encountered when testing for Propofol.

Propofol: An Analytical and Medico-Legal Challenge

 

Follow @utaklabs . . . → Read More: Propofol: An Analytical and Legal Challenge]]> Propofol, Pain Management
With recent high profile cases (Heath Ledger and Michael Jackson) involving the strong anesthetic Propofol, this article in Forensic Magazine offers a timely perspective of the analytical and legal challenges encountered when testing for Propofol.

Propofol: An Analytical and Medico-Legal Challenge

 


]]> http://blog.utak.com/propofol-an-analytical-and-legal-challenge.html/feed 0 Aberrant Drug-Related Behavior: Is There Correct Terminology? http://blog.utak.com/aberrant-drug-related-behavior-is-there-correct-terminology.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aberrant-drug-related-behavior-is-there-correct-terminology http://blog.utak.com/aberrant-drug-related-behavior-is-there-correct-terminology.html#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:19:07 +0000 Shawn Magsig http://blog.utak.com/?p=749 In medicine it is important to use words correctly to convey as much objectivity as possible. Incorrect word usage can lead to false assumptions that affect treatment plan development and even, in some cases, poor clinical decisions.

With the mushrooming growth of drugs being prescribed for Pain Management purposes, word distinctions need to be . . . → Read More: Aberrant Drug-Related Behavior: Is There Correct Terminology?]]> In medicine it is important to use words correctly to convey as much objectivity as possible. Incorrect word usage can lead to false assumptions that affect treatment plan development and even, in some cases, poor clinical decisions.

With the mushrooming growth of drugs being prescribed for Pain Management purposes, word distinctions need to be made between legitimate use (clinical treatment) and misuse (forensic matters). There could be multiple words used to describe the same situation from both a clinical and forensic perspective. For example, the terms used by police officers are not likely be used by clinicians due to the stigma attached to certain words.

This article sets out to define the words most commonly used when discussing aberrant drug-related behavior.

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Aberrant Drug-Related Behavior: Is There Correct Terminology?

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