[Ultrafast opiate detoxification under general anesthesia: the St. Loup Hospital experience].
Rapid antagonist induction under anesthesia is a method that has been increasingly used to detoxify opiate addicts. These procedures are useful to reduce the duration and the discomfort of withdrawal. However, the high risk and the cost of these methods require randomized clinical trial to evaluate safety and clinical effectiveness. The University Substance Abuse Division of Lausanne and the Intensive Care Unit of the St-Loup Hospital work on a randomized clinical trial comparing anesthesia-assisted versus traditional clonidine detoxification combined with an additional psychosocial week. This paper describes the technique of anesthesia used in our study. Our clinical experience suggests that, integrating this technique in a multidisciplinary network, with a strong emphasis on post-anesthetic follow-up, is a viable and safe option in the treatment of opiate dependence.
Zimmermann
Grégoire
G
Division d'Abus de Substances Département Universitaire de Psychiatrie Adulte Clinique de Cery 1008 Prilly-Lausanne. Gregoire.Zimmermann@ip.unil.ch
Favrat
Bernard
B
Muller
Jacques
J
Zullino
Daniele
D
Krenz
Sonia
S
Deyras
Eliane
E
Dorogi
Frédéric
F
Zwahlen
André
A
Besson
Jacques
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland