title: Substance abuse in anaesthetists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anaesthesiologists have a significantly higher frequency of substance abuse by a factor of nearly 3 when compared with other physicians. This is still a current problem that must be reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many hypotheses have been formulated to explain why anaesthesiologists appear to be more susceptible to substance abuse than other medical professionals (genetic differences in sensitivity to opioids, stress, the association between chemical dependence and other psychopathology or the second-hand exposure hypothesis). Environmental exposure and sensitization may be an important risk factor in physician addiction. There is a long debate about returning to work for an anaesthetist who has been depending on opioid drugs, and recent debates are discussed. Institutional efforts have been made in many countries and physician health programmes have been developed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As drug abuse among anaesthesiologists has continued, new studies have been conducted to know the theories about susceptibility. Written substance abuse policies and controls must be taken in place and in all countries.
authors.affiliation: Anaesthesiology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain. rosergg@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Garcia-Guasch
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roigé
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Padrós
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D010815:Physician Impairment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012008:Recurrence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality