Gregory Rudolf
American Board of Addiction Medicine, USA
Title: Non-Opioid Protocol for Opioid Detoxification and/or Transition to Antagonist Treatment
Biography
Biography: Gregory Rudolf
Abstract
The clinical effectiveness of a novel non-opioid and benzodiazepine-free protocol was compared to a buprenorphine/naltrexone taper for opioid detoxification and transition to subsequent relapse prevention strategies, including initiation of extended release (ER) naltrexone treatment. Methods: Retrospective chart review of DSM IV diagnosed opioid-dependent patients admitted for inpatient detoxification examined differences between 84 non-opioid protocol (treated with scheduled 4-day tizanidine, hydroxyzine and gabapentin) and 40 bup/nx protocol (treated with scheduled 4-day bup/nx taper) subjects. Both groups received ancillary medications and routine counseling. Primary outcomes measured completion of detoxification and facil- itation to further chemical dependency treatment. Secondary outcomes in- cluded length of stay (LOS), adverse effects, Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) scores, ancillary medication use, and initiation of injectable ER naltrexone treatment.