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Purpose: Zolpidem and zopiclone are two widely used non-benzodiazepine hypnotics whose usage seems to be associated to pharmacodependence. However, to our knowledge, there has as yet been no published epidemiological study which has compared their abuse or dependence potential. We used a pharmacoepidemiological approach to identify and characterise zolpidem and zopiclone users in real life situations. Methods: Regular users of zolpidem or zopiclone were identified in the database of a French regional health insurance organisation. A latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify different subgroups of users of these two hypnotics. Results: The study cohort comprised 25,168 patients who regularly used zolpidem and 21,860 who regularly used zopiclone. The results of the latent class analysis, which enables subgroups with similar patterns of response to be identified, revealed four clinical subtypes of users of zolpidem: non-problematic users, users with associations with hypnotics/anxiolytics or with associated mental disorders, and problematic users. Only three subgroups were identified for zopiclone, and LCA did not discriminate a special class of problematic users for this drug. Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that there is a subclass of zolpidem user suggestive of abuse; this was not the case for zopiclone. This methodology is very interesting because it allows analysis of databases and determination of a specific signature of drugs potentially leading to abuse or dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses an ad hoc data collection form created by a multiprofessional working group validated by the Centres for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependence in France regarding the cutaneous complications among high-dose buprenorphine injection users. Data collected from patients include medical history, demographic data, demographic data and drugs related to the cutaneous complications.

Introduction: There are no studies on medically examined persons in custody which specifically focus on identifying dependence profiles among users of intoxicants. Nonetheless, the characterisation of dependence profiles for intoxicants such as alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and their by-products is a medical necessity in this setting., Materials and Methods: A prospective, monocentric, open-ended study conducted by structured questionnaire was carried out on detainees who admitted to having taken an intoxicant/s (tobacco, alcohol, drugs or illegal substances). Social, legal and medical data were collected. The aim of the study was to explore characteristics of these persons in police custody., Results: 817 questionnaires were examined. More than one-third have a dependence on at least one substance. 37.7% were dependant of tobacco, 86.5% of drinkers, 24.7% of cannabis users. Of these, 90.1% were from men with a mean age of 29.4 years, 40% from individuals living alone, 25.7% from persons with no financial means and 19.6% from homeless persons. 10% were believed to be suffering from mental illness, 7.2% were thought to be asthmatic, 3% to have a chronic infection, and 2.9% to have epilepsy. 36.2% reportedly received treatment, 37.5% of which included benzodiazepine and 20.3% opiate substitution therapy. Incidence of psychological and psychiatric disorders is close to 10% of intoxicant detainees., Discussion: In this study, some of the stated pathologies occur in ratios similar to those in other published results. But, there is a high, and probably underestimated, prevalence of psychological and psychiatric disorders in this population of detainees reporting exposure to intoxicant or illegal substances., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.)

Object: Epidemiological study on addictive disorders during pregnancy., Methods: An epidemiological study about addictive disorders has been led in the maternity of the University Hospital of Nantes in 2008 on a sample of 300 women, just after childbirth. The prevalence of consumption of drugs was assessed on declared consumption of legal and illegal substances and on the Fagerström questionnaire, the AUDIT questionnaire and the CAST questionnaire. Diagnostic of eating disorders was based on DSM IV criteria of mental anorexia and bulimia nervosa., Results: At the beginning of pregnancy, 34% of women used tobacco, 63% alcohol and 8% cannabis. Among the women of the study 0.7% had criteria for mental anorexia, 2.3% for bulimia nervosa and 9% for sub clinic forms. After the first trimester, 22% of women declared using tobacco, 20% alcohol and 3% cannabis. The use of various drugs during pregnancy concerned 6.3% of women, and 38% used at least one drug after the first trimester., Conclusion: The high prevalence of addictive disorders during pregnancy should incite professional of prenatal care to improve their screening methodology and not only when tobacco or alcohol is suspected., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)