Substance Use Disorder

• July 8, 2020
• Tony Guo
• no comments

Substance Use Disorder

Substance Use

• Serious problem for society and health care
• Substance use disorders (SUD)
  • Involve a variety of substances
  • Legal and illegal
• Affects many patients you will encounter in the health care system
  • Many implications for health and care
  • Nursing management involves recognition of substance use, screening for abuse, and patient education
  • Our professional responsibility to address these problems

Criteria for Substance Use Disorders (SUD)

• Impaired Control
  • Taking more or for longer than intended
  • Failing to quit using despite multiple times of trying to do so
  • Spending a great deal of time obtaining, using, or recovering from use
  • Craving the substance
• Social Impairment
  • Missing school, work, or other responsibilities due to use
  • Continuing use despite problems caused or exacerbated by use
  • Giving up or reducing important activities because of use
• Risky Use
  • Recurrent use in hazardous situations
  • Continued use despite problems that are caused or worsened by use
• Pharmacologic Dependence
  • Physical tolerance to effects of the substance
  • Presence of withdrawal symptoms when not using or using less

Nicotine

• Tobacco use disorder (TUD)
  • Most common SUD that you will encounter
  • Smoking is the main form of tobacco use in the United States
• Effects of Use
  • CNS stimulant
  • Releases adrenaline
  • Effects last 1-2 hours
  • Withdrawal leaves person tired, irritable, anxious, and craving more nicotine
  • Cycle of addiction
• Complications
  • Smoked tobacco
    • Most harmful method of nicotine use
    • Injures nearly every organ in the body
    • Accounts for 14 million major medical conditions in the United States
  • Smokeless tobacco
    • Less risk of lung disease
    • Associated with
      • Periodontal disease
      • Cancers of mouth, cheek, tongue, throat, esophagus
      • Cardiovascular disease
  • Electronic cigarettes
    • Harmful effects are still emerging
    • Overall impact on health is uncertain
    • Not FDA approved
    • Not recommended as a smoking cessation aid