HEROIN TOXICITY

Course overview

HEROIN, ALSO KNOWN AS DIACETYLMORPHINE, IS A VERY EFFICIENT PRODRUG AND MORE POTENT THAN MORPHINE. MANY DEATHS ARE CAUSED BY HEROIN OVERDOSES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD EACH YEAR. HEROIN, WHICH CAN BE SNIFFED, SMOKED OR INJECTED, IS EXPERIENCING A REBOUND IN USAGE, PARTIALLY RELATED TO THE EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE ABUSE OF PRESCRIPTION PAIN RELIEVERS. WITH INCREASED USAGE, THERE HAS BEEN A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN OVERDOSE-RELATED DEATHS. HEROIN IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY USED DRUGS AMONG THOSE WHO MISUSE INTRAVENOUS DRUGS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT/PREVENTION OF HEROIN TOXICITY, AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING, DIAGNOSING, AND MANAGING THE CONDITION.