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J H Samet

Publications and source records attributed to J H Samet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Co-morbidity of infectious and addictive diseases in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, Russia.

The Russian health care system is organized around specific diseases, with relatively little focus on integration across specialties to address co-morbidities. This organizational structure presents new challenges in the context of the recent epidemics of injection drug use (IDU) and HIV. This paper uses existing and new data to examine the prevalence of reported new cases of drug dependence (heroin) and HIV over time as well as associations between drug dependence and alcoholism, hepatitis B and C, and tuberculosis in the City of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. We found a sharp rise in reported cases of IDU beginning in 1991 and continuing until 2002/2003, followed by a sharp rise in newly reported cases of HIV. These rises were followed by a drop in new cases of HIV and drug addiction in 2002/2003 and a drop in the proportion of HIV-positive individuals with IDU as a risk factor. Infection with hepatitis B and C were common, especially among injection drug users (38 and 85%, respectively), but also in alcoholics (7 and 14%). Tuberculosis was more common in alcoholics (53%) than in persons with alcoholism and drug dependence (10%), or with drug dependence alone (4%). Though these data have many limitations, they clearly demonstrate that drug dependence and/or alcoholism, HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis frequently co-occur in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Prevention and treatment services across medical specialties should be integrated to address the wide range of issues that are associated with these co-morbidities.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Physical and sexual violence and health care utilization in HIV-infected persons with alcohol problems.

We examined interpersonal violence and its association with health care utilization and substance use severity among a cohort of 349 HIV-infected men and women with histories of alcohol problems assessed biannually up to 36 months. Data included demographics, lifetime interpersonal violence histories, age at first violence exposure, recent violence (prior six months), substance use severity and health care utilization (ambulatory visits, Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospitalizations) and adherence to HIV medication. Kaplan-Meier survival curves estimated the proportion of subjects experiencing recent violence. Generalized estimating equation regression models evaluated the relationship between recent violence, utilization and substance use severity over time, controlling for demographics, CD4 counts and depressive symptoms. Subject characteristics included: 79% male; mean age 41 years; 44% black, 33% white and 23% other. Eighty percent of subjects reported lifetime interpersonal violence: 40% physical violence alone, and 40% sexual violence with or without physical violence. First violence occurred prior to age 13 in 46%. Twenty-four (41%) of subjects reported recent violence by 24 and 36 months, respectively. In multivariate analyses, recent violence was associated with more ambulatory visits, ED visits and hospitalizations and worse substance use severity, but not medication adherence. Due to the high incidence and associated increased health care services utilization, violence prevention interventions should be considered for HIV-infected patients with a history of alcohol problems.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The onset of HIV infection in the Leningrad region of Russia: a focus on drug and alcohol dependence.

OBJECTIVES: Within 5 years, 5 million Russians may be infected with HIV. Currently, injection drug use is the major risk factor for HIV. As Russia's alcohol consumption per capita is among the highest in the world, alcohol-associated behaviours may be an important contributor to the HIV epidemic. Our objective was to examine the prevalence of HIV infection among drug- and alcohol-dependent patients in a regional narcology hospital and in the general population in Leningrad. METHODS: All patients in the Narcology Hospital, Leningrad Regional Center of Addictions (LRCA), were tested for HIV antibody between 1997 and 2001. We reviewed these clinical records (i.e. serostatus, gender, age, and addiction) and data from the HIV/AIDS Center in the Leningrad Region (1997-2001). RESULTS: From 1997 to 2001, HIV prevalence at the LRCA increased from 0 to 12.7% overall, 33.4% among drug-dependent patients and 1.2% among alcohol-dependent patients. During the same 5-year period (1997-2001), 2826 persons were registered at the HIV/AIDS Center: 6, 6, 51, 780, and 1983 persons in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HIV infection is exploding in the Leningrad Region, currently in injection drug users (IDUs) but potentially more broadly. The known high per capita alcohol intake in Russia heightens concern regarding the sexual transmission of HIV. Interventions to prevent such a development should include use, and assessment of the effectiveness, of known HIV prevention measures for at-risk and infected individuals.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2003

Recurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms after initiation of antiretrovirals including efavirenz: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Some antiretrovirals has been reported to cause a wide range of psychiatric symptoms. However, reappearance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has not been described in relation to these medications. DESIGN: Case report. SETTINGS: The Boston Medical Center, a tertiary care academic centre. FINDINGS: Two HIV-infected refugees re-experienced symptoms of PTSD after starting therapy with efavirenz (EFV) and zidovudine (ZDV). The two patients had no typical factors present to account for the PTSD exacerbation. In both patients, the symptoms of PTSD gradually subsided to baseline within the first 4 weeks of antiretroviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that EFV, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, with ZDV, may be manifesting its known neuropsychiatric toxicities in a heretofore unreported presentation of PTSD exacerbation.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Benefits of linking primary medical care and substance abuse services: patient, provider, and societal perspectives.

Individuals with alcohol and drug use problems may receive health care from medical, mental health, and substance abuse providers, or a combination of all three. Systems of care are often distinct and separate, and substantial opportunities for benefit to patient, provider, and payer are missed. In this article, we outline (1) the possible benefits of linking primary care, mental health, and substance abuse services from the perspective of the major stakeholders-medical and mental health providers, addiction clinicians, patients, and society-and (2) reasons for suboptimal linkage and opportunities for improving linkage within the current health care system. We also review published models of linked medical and substance abuse services. Given the potential benefits of creating tangible systems in which primary care, mental health, and substance abuse services are meaningfully linked, efforts to implement, examine, and measure the real impact should be a high priority.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Understanding delay to medical care for HIV infection: the long-term non-presenter.

OBJECTIVE: To examine delayed presentation for HIV testing and primary care in the second decade of the AIDS epidemic. DESIGN: Cohort study in two urban hospitals in the USA between February 1994 and April 1996. METHODS: A total of 203 consecutive outpatients on initial HIV primary care presentation were interviewed about sociodemographic characteristics, alcohol and drug use, social support, sexual practices, HIV testing, awareness of possible HIV infection, and CD4 cell count. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Duration of delay to medical presentation in years based on CD4 cell count, factors independently associated with low CD4 cell counts, frequency of awareness of HIV risk before testing. RESULTS: The estimated mean duration between acquiring HIV infection and initial presentation to primary care was 8.1 years (95% CI 7.5, 8.6) based on our cohort's median initial CD4 cell count of 280/microl. Male sex, older age, and no jail time were associated with lower CD4 cell counts; 34% reported not being aware that they were at risk of HIV before testing. Heterosexual intercourse as a risk behavior for HIV was the most statistically significant factor for personal unawareness of HIV risk. Of those who acknowledged awareness, the mean time between awareness of HIV risk and testing was 2.5 years (median 1.0 year). CONCLUSION: In the pre-highly active antiretroviral therapy era, HIV-infected patients frequently initiated primary medical care years after initial infection, at a time of advanced immunosuppression. Over one-third of HIV-infected patients were not cognisant of their HIV risk before testing, a condition significantly associated with heterosexual intercourse as the only HIV risk behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evolution of depressive symptoms in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients entering primary care.

Our purpose was to examine among HIV-infected patients a) characteristics associated with depressive symptoms at initial primary care presentation and b) factors associated with improvement in depressive symptoms. We interviewed HIV-infected patients at initial presentation and reassessed them 6 months later. At baseline and follow-up, we collected data on depressive symptoms (CES-D) and other characteristics. Using multiple linear regression, we examined associations between CES-D score and baseline variables. We used multiple logistic regression to examine factors associated with improvement in depressive symptoms. Seventy-one percent of the baseline sample (N = 203) scored above the threshold considered indicative of depression. At 6 months, 36% of the subjects who were followed improved in depressive symptoms. Higher baseline CES-D scores, improvements in HIV-related symptoms, and joining a support group were associated with improvement. Depressive symptoms in this urban HIV-infected population were highly prevalent. It is essential to screen, identify, and treat depression among patients entering care for HIV disease. Encouragement in joining support groups is a reasonable component of a strategy for addressing this common condition.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Improving alcoholism treatment across the spectrum of services.

This article represents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2000 RSA Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The chair was Michael E. Hilton. The presentations were (1) The effects of brief advice and motivational enhancement on alcohol use and related variables in primary care, by Stephen A. Maisto, Joseph Conigliaro, Melissa McNiel, Kevin Kraemer, Mary E. Kelley, and Rosemarie Conigliaro; (2) Enhanced linkage of alcohol dependent persons to primary medical care: A randomized controlled trial of a multidisciplinary health evaluation in a detoxification unit, by Jeffrey H. Samet, Mary Jo Larson, Jacqueline Savetsky, Michael Winter, Lisa M. Sullivan, and Richard Saitz; (3) Cost-effectiveness of day hospital versus traditional alcohol and drug outpatient treatment in a health maintenance organization: Randomized and self-selected samples, by Constance Weisner, Jennifer Mertens, Sujaya Parthasarathy, Charles Moore, Enid Hunkeler, Teh-Wei Hu, and Joe Selby; and (4) Case monitoring for alcoholics: One year clinical and health cost effects, by Robert L. Stout, William Zywiak, Amy Rubin, William Zwick, Mary Jo Larson, and Don Shepard.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2000

The doctor-patient relationship and HIV-infected patients' satisfaction with primary care physicians.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent to which perceptions of specific aspects of the doctor-patient relationship are related to overall satisfaction with primary care physicians among HIV-infected patients. DESIGN: Longitudinal, observational study of HIV-infected persons new to primary HIV care. Data were collected at enrollment and approximately 6 months later by in-person interview. SETTING: Two urban medical centers in the northeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS: Patients seeking primary HIV care for the first time. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome measure was patient-reported satisfaction with a primary care physician measured 6 months after initiating primary HIV care. Patients who were more comfortable discussing personal issues with their physicians (P =. 021), who perceived their primary care physicians as more empathetic (P =.001), and who perceived their primary care physicians as more knowledgeable with respect to HIV (P =.002) were significantly more satisfied with their primary care physicians, adjusted for characteristics of the patient and characteristics of primary care. Collectively, specific aspects of the doctor-patient relationship explained 56% of the variation in overall satisfaction with the primary care physician. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' perceptions of their primary care physician's HIV knowledge and empathy were highly related to their satisfaction with this physician. Satisfaction among HIV-infected patients was not associated with patients' sociodemographic characteristics, HIV risk characteristics, alcohol and drug use, health status, quality of life, or concordant patient-physician gender and racial matching.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Alcohol abuse and dependence in Latinos living in the United States: validation of the CAGE (4M) questions.

BACKGROUND: Brief alcoholism screening questionnaires have not been adequately studied in the rapidly growing Latino population living in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To assess (1) the prevalence of alcoholism and (2) the performance of 2 alcohol screening instruments in Latinos. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional interview study in an urban teaching hospital-based primary care practice. Consecutive self-identified Latino subjects provided informed consent. All subjects were interviewed in English or Spanish using 2 alcoholism screening tools, the CAGE (or the Spanish version, the 4M), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and a criterion standard for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse and dependence, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. RESULTS: Of 210 subjects interviewed, 36% had a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependence by the criterion standard. Thirty-one percent were currently drinking hazardous amounts of alcohol. A CAGE (4M) score of 1 or more was 92% sensitive and 74% specific, and a score of 2 or more was 80% sensitive and 93% specific for a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependency. CAGE (4M) scores of 0, 2, 3, and 4 were associated with likelihood ratios (0.1, 4.8, 18.5, and 36.8, respectively) that resulted in substantial changes from pretest (36%) to posttest probability (to 6%, 73%, 91%, and 95%, respectively) of a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependency. At the standard cutoff point, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test detected only 51% of subjects with alcohol disorders. CONCLUSIONS: In Latinos in primary care settings, alcohol abuse and dependence are common and the CAGE (4M) is a brief, valid, screening tool for detecting alcohol use disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

HIV testing in substance abusers.

HIV testing among substance abusers in the United States is a significant public and individual health issue in need of further examination. We analyzed interview data gathered over 15 months in 1992 and 1993 from 2315 patients on presentation for addiction treatment to determine the frequency of and factors associated with previous HIV testing. Among this group of alcohol, heroin, and cocaine abusers, 53% (1231) reported previous HIV testing. Although in bivariate and multivariable analyses those with identifiable risk factors for HIV were more likely to have been tested, 27% of injection drug users, 38% with multiple sexual partners, and 39% of those with a history of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) had not been HIV tested. Other factors associated with previous HIV testing included having a primary care physician, the primary care physician's awareness of the patient's substance abuse problem, and having received prior addiction care. However, 38% of substance abusers who had previously received addiction treatment beyond detoxification had not been tested. Of those tested, 10% (n = 122) reported a positive test, and 7% (n = 81) had not received the test results. Of those with positive test results, 37% were not injection drug users. Promotion of HIV testing among alcohol and other drug abusers in both medical and substance abuse treatment settings should be a priority.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Disclosure of HIV status.

A significant proportion of HIV-infected persons choose not to disclose their status to sexual partners. Healthcare providers may play a role in motivating patients to disclose despite powerful forces working in favor of secrecy.

HIV Infections↗
PubMed1999

Dermatologic manifestations in HIV-infected patients: a primary care perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To document the prevalence of dermatologic manifestations in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on presentation to primary medical care. DESIGN: Prospective consecutive case series evaluated between June and November 1995. SETTING: The HIV intake clinic at an urban hospital. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ninety-five individuals initiating HIV-related primary care. RESULTS: Dermatologic manifestations were found in 82 patients (86%). The most common conditions were dermatophytosis in 32 patients (34%), oral hairy leukoplakia in 22 (23%), and folliculitis in 18 (19%). Well-described HIV-associated dermatologic manifestations such as Kaposi sarcoma, herpes zoster, and psoriasis were uncommon. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of treatable skin disorders found in HIV-infected patients underscores the importance of careful and complete skin examination as a fundamental aspect of the initial clinical evaluation in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Management of adults recovering from alcohol or other drug problems: relapse prevention in primary care.

Patients recovering from substance use disorders are commonly seen in the primary care setting, and relapse is a serious long-term problem for these patients. Extrapolating from therapeutic strategies effective in specialty addiction treatment settings, this article outlines a practical approach to relapse prevention in the primary care setting. Working within a supportive patient-physician relationship, the primary care physician can help recovering patients decrease their susceptibility to relapse, recognize and manage high-risk situations, and use available self-help, pharmacological, and specialty resources. Drawing on the therapeutic relationship and skills they already possess, primary care physicians can have an important, productive, and satisfying role in the long-term management of patients in recovery from alcohol or other drug problems.

Adult↗