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Biomedical subjects

D Ladewig

Publications and source records attributed to D Ladewig.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Drug dependence in patients in psychiatric hospitals in Switzerland. A survey conducted in nine psychiatric hospitals from 1983-1986.

The present article forms part of an investigation which has been carried on continuously under the auspices of the Conference of Swiss Sanitary Directors with the aim of providing evidence on the frequency of drug dependence in inpatients of psychiatric hospitals. The investigation is an important source of information concerning trends in drug dependence patterns. In this study, it was possible to observe a change in preference with regard to the use of analgetic compounds over the past years. The decreasing use of barbiturates was found to have been replaced by an increased intake of benzodiazepines. Dependence on heroin has increasingly been observed in recent years. On the whole, multiple drug dependence combined with alcoholism are at present the most frequently observed forms of dependence.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1990

Mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (section F1): results of the ICD-10 field trial.

The ICD-10 field trial of section F1 (mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use) shows comparatively high acceptance of the new classification in German-speaking countries. Goodness of fit and subjective confidence of the main diagnosis are above average. Analysis of interrater reliability with regard to main diagnostic categories reveal certain problems. The reliability values are flow average within the ICD-10 field study. Possible causes for low interrater reliability are inadequate differentiation from section F0 (organic disorders) and uncertainties in the differential assessment of psychopathological symptoms between F1 and F2, as also between F1 and F4. Interrater reliability could be improved by introducing "psychoactive substance use" as a separate axis in a forthcoming multiaxial scheme for ICD-10.

Behavior↗
PubMed1990

[Drug-dependent patients in general practice].

Contrary to the popular opinion of many physicians, addicts are primarily seeking help in the practice. The treatment of addicts in the practice requires an early diagnose. The competence of treatment needs a sensible part, concerning the knowledge about the potential of dependence and the following symptoms, the withdrawal medication and the relapse situations, and an emotional part, concerning personal attitude towards personal vulnerability to face relapses. It is desirable to develop liaison services between physicians in practice and the specialists to improve the efficiency of treatment.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1989

[Benefits and risks in using benzodiazepines from the viewpoint of pharmaco-epidemiology with reference to substance dependence].

Anxiety and sleep disturbances are frequent symptoms in medical practice. They still constitute the main indications for prescription patterns. The evaluation of risks and benefits deals with many methodological problems concerning terminology of dependence and pharmaco-epidemiology finally findings in the literature are reviewed under the aspects of diminishing the risk of dependence.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1988

Benzodiazepine abuse in patients of doctors in domiciliary practice in the Basle area.

In the city of Basle with a catchment area of 300,000 inhabitants a significant number of physicians were asked for observations concerning benzodiazepine abuse by their patients. In 1985, 31 patients abusing benzodiazepine only were observed, which represents an incidence of 1:10,000 or 0.01%. In addition, concrete information on 88 patients with multiple abuse was obtained. Demographic data, diagnosis and main reason of abuse, data on most frequently abused drugs, consequences of abuse, as well as measures against the abused are described in relation to the two main groups of abusers.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Discrimination of opiate dependence from opiate abstinence and methadone maintenance by use of the Derogatis scale.

A sample of opiate addicts from the Basle area followed over six years (1979-1985) was in 1985 investigated concerning psychopathological features. Using the Derogatis scale significant differences between opiate abstinence and opiate dependence could be demonstrated. People still using opiates described themselves as being more obsessive, insecure, depressed, aggressive and anxious than people who had become abstinent from opiates. Patients in methadone maintenance were located in between. There were in addition significant differences between people living outside an institution and people being treated in therapeutic or penal institutions, but no differences between people from each kind of institution.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Dependence liability of the benzodiazepines.

According to pharmacological data as well as to clinical experience a potential of benzodiazepines for producing dependence is not a matter of doubt. However, when compared to the dependence liability of barbiturates the corresponding effect of benzodiazepines is low. In evaluating the dependence potential of benzediazepines account must be taken of the rareness of psychotropic effects of these substances and of the absence of usual mechanisms of tolerance, as well as the epidemiology of psychosomatic syndromes and their treatment outcome. The paper summarizes different types of clinical approaches to evaluating the abuse and dependence liability. In relation to the high incidence of prescriptions for benzodiazepines, the incidence of dependence syndromes is low, but with a wide range of degrees and patterns of such syndromes. Mostly autonomic and psychic symptoms, occasionally grand mal seizures and sensory disturbances and very rarely psychotic symptoms have been described. While the time course differs there is, in comparison to barbiturates, a shift in onset and duration of symptoms.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1984

[Different steps in construct validation of the Basel Drug and Alcohol Questionnaire (BDA)].

In a first study we developed a test (BDA) for measuring the degree of dependence on alcohol, medicaments and drugs in alcoholics as well as drug addicts. The present study analysed this test according to the principles of construct validity. The aim was to create a test with those items that optimally fulfil some of the following criteria. This was achieved with 22 out of the original 59 items of the test. The shortened test contains those items that optimally differentiate both externally (the addicted population from the rest of the sample: depressives, neurotics and normals) and internally (the degree of dependence). The score obtained with 22 items was more efficacious in differentiating the addicts from the rest of the sample than the total score of 59 items. 86% of the 22 items are sufficiently sensitive to measure changes during hospitalisation in a psychiatric clinic. However only 33% of the 22 items can effectively discriminate between alcohol-, medicaments- und drug-dependence. Intercorrelation and factor analyses with other variables that were also measured indicate that a large part of the variance arises from unspecific "general psychopathology" and only a small part is specific for drug-dependence. The test is sufficiently reliable (rtt = .89), unifactoral, and with clear mean test-item correlation (rit = .54), to justify further investigation. We recommend this 22 items test for scientific research into dependence, in spite of the questions that still remain open. The English version of the 22 items is given in the appendix.

Adult↗