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Aims Valid measures to identify harmful alcohol use are important. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a validated questionnaire used to self-report harmful drinking in several cultures and settings. Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 (PEth) is a direct alcohol biomarker measuring alcohol consumption levels. The aim of this study was to investigate how PEth levels correlate with AUDIT-QF and weekly grams of alcohol consumed among patients in two urban hospitals. In addition, we wanted to investigate the predictive value of PEth in identifying harmful alcohol use as defined by AUDIT-QF and weekly grams of alcohol cutoffs. Methods A cross-sectional study comprising acute medically ill patients with measurable PEth levels (≥0.030 μM) admitted to two urban hospitals in Oslo, Norway (N = 931) and Moscow, Russia (N = 953) was conducted using PEth concentrations in whole blood, sociodemographic data and AUDIT-QF questionnaires. Results PEth levels from patients with measurable PEth were found to be positively correlated with AUDIT-QF scores, with PEth cutpoints of 0.128 μM (Oslo) and 0.270 μM (Moscow) providing optimal discrimination for harmful alcohol use defined by AUDIT-QF (the difference between cities probably reflecting different national drinking patterns in QF). When converting AUDIT-QF into weekly grams of alcohol consumed, the predictive value of PEth improved, with optimal PEth cutpoints of 0.327 (Oslo) and 0.396 (Moscow) μM discriminating between harmful and non-harmful alcohol use as defined in grams (≥350 grams/week). Conclusions By using PEth levels and converting AUDIT-QF into weekly grams of alcohol it was possible to get an improved rapid and sensitive determination of harmful alcohol use among hospitalized patients., Short Summary: AUDIT-QF among acute medically ill patients was found to be positively correlated with the alcohol biomarker PEth, with improved predictive value of PEth when converting AUDIT-QF to weekly grams of alcohol. PEth may be used to discriminate harmful alcohol use in clinical settings.

ObjectivesThe use of psychoactive prescription medication is increasing in the general population. This is a cause for concern, particularly among the elderly, where physiological changes related to senescence increase the risk for adverse effects. While previous studies regarding psychoactive substance use have generally been population based, we sought to determine the frequency of such use among acutely hospitalised patients.SettingTwo emergency departments (EDs), one in Oslo and one in Moscow, admitting patients to Departments of Internal Medicine.Participants5583 patients aged ≥18 years participated, distributed evenly between genders and study locations. Patients unable to give informed consent were excluded. The study sites did not admit patients with surgical conditions and/or injuries.Primary and secondary outcomesThe presence of psychoactive substances was determined through blood analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Secondary outcomes comprised demographic data (including age, gender, employment and marital status), degree of psychological distress, concurrent alcohol use, and self-reported alcohol, psychoactive drug and illicit substance use.Results32.3% in Oslo and 12% in Moscow were positive for one or more psychoactive medicinal drugs (benzodiazepines, z-hypnotics, opioids or barbiturates). In Oslo, medicinal drug use was associated with being aged 61 to 70 years (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.61 to 3.58) compared with 18 to 40 years, and psychological distress (OR 2.61, 95% CI 2.06 to 3.30). In Moscow, psychoactive medicinal drug use was also associated with psychological distress (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.39), and was less common among patients aged 41 to 60 years (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43 to 0.88) than among patients aged 18 to 40 years.ConclusionA significant proportion of admitted patients used one or more psychoactive medicinal drugs, in particular benzodiazepines (Oslo and Moscow) and opiates (Oslo). We suggest formalised screening for inappropriate prescription drug use and increased adherence to clinical prescription guidelines.

The main aim of the study was to establish, whether the gender of a health professional affects the use of smartphone medical apps. We studied the basic patterns of smartphone use in doctors with the largest addiction clinic in Moscow, engaged in in-patient treatment, to access possible gender-determined “digital divide”, evaluate the current use of medical applications, and eventual intentions to use a decision-support app. We performed a cross-sectional study of a non-probability sample of medical doctors using a non-standardized anonymous self-questionnaire, covering 3 domains: socio-demographic and professional characteristics; present use of a mobile device; attitudes to the use of mobile medical apps. The study covered 212 of the 328 staff members, 56% men and 44% women. The largest age group was 41–50 years old (32.1%), followed by 51–60 (25%), 31–40 (23.6%), over 61 (10.8%) and 20-30 (8.5%). 77.8% of respondents use mobile Internet in the office to search for professionally relevant information. 86.5% would like to use mobile applications that help in their professional activities. We failed to confirm the hypothesis about possible gender-related features in the use of mobile devices in doctors. The dedicated mobile system for supporting clinical decision-making in addiction hospitals may be in-demand. The level of doctors’ use of mobile devices and mobile applications shows the absence of gender barriers to the utilization of such systems. In the future, we recommend studying other socio-demographic and occupational predictors affecting the use of professional mobile applications by health professionals of various specialties and the acceptability of the gaming approach in the field.

Introduction Tobacco smoking is a major preventable risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of tobacco smoking among acute medically ill patients admitted to a Moscow hospital, and the association between smoking and alcohol use. Methods Patients admitted to the V. P. Demikhov hospital in Moscow from November 2016 through December 2017 were asked to participate in this study (inclusion criteria were acute medically ill patients aged ≥18 years). Sociodemographic data were collected, in addition to questionnaires on mental distress (Hopkins Symptom Checklist 5), alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test 4, AUDIT-4) and smoking (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence). Results A total of 3009 patients were recruited to the study. Using a binary logistic regression model adjusted for all variables, it was found that living without a partner resulted in a higher risk of smoking tobacco compared to being married or living with a partner (odds ratio, OR=1.60 for divorced, p=0.001; and OR=1.62 for single, p=0.002), and being economically non-active resulted in a higher risk compared to being economically active (OR=1.47; p=0.003). Harmful alcohol use (AUDIT-4 score ≥5 [for females] / 7 [for males]) resulted in a higher risk of smoking compared to those without harmful alcohol use (OR=4.04; p

Background The aim was to estimate the prevalence of harmful alcohol use in relation to socio-demographic characteristics among acutely ill medical patients, and examine identification measures of alcohol use, including the alcohol biomarker phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 (PEth). Methods A cross-sectional study, lasting one year at one hospital in Oslo, Norway and one in Moscow, Russia recruiting acute medically ill patients (≥ 18 years), able to give informed consent. Self-reported data on socio-demographics, mental distress (Symptom Check List-5), alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-4 (AUDIT-4) and alcohol consumption past 24 h were collected. PEth and alcohol concentration were measured in whole blood. Results Of 5883 participating patients, 19.2% in Moscow and 21.1% in Oslo were harmful alcohol users, measured by AUDIT-4, while the prevalence of PEth-positive patients was lower: 11.4% in Oslo, 14.3% in Moscow. Men in Moscow were more likely to be harmful users by AUDIT-4 and PEth compared to men in Oslo, except of those being ≥ 71 years. Women in Oslo were more likely to be harmful users compared to those in Moscow by AUDIT-4, but not by PEth for those aged Conclusions The prevalence of harmful alcohol use was high at both study sites. The prevalence of harmful alcohol use was lower when assessed by PEth compared to AUDIT-4. Thus, self-reporting was the most sensitive measure in revealing harmful alcohol use among all groups except for women in Moscow. Hence, screening and identification with objective biomarkers and self-reporting might be a method for early intervention.