Latest Articles and News - Jul 28, 2025

Opioid overdose prevention and response training for medical students: Does training provide a benefit beyond the traditional curriculum, and are the gains of early training maintained?

Drug-related overdoses remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Medical students contribute to harm reduction efforts and must be prepared to support individuals with substance use disorder (SUDs). This study aimed to better understand the unique, long-term effects of and optimal timing for medical student training on overdose prevention and response. Medical students in the Class of 2023 (N = 296) at a single institution in the Midwest of the United States were asked to complete surveys annually and after educational interventions. Half were randomly selected to receive Opioid Overdose Prevention and Response Training (OOPRT) in M1, and the other half during M3. Mixed-model ANOVAs examined whether training influenced overdose knowledge and attitudes beyond the standard curriculum and explored optimal time for training. OOPRT significantly improved knowledge and attitude measures at 1-year post-training. During M4, we found significant improvements in related knowledge compared to matriculation, with no differences between training groups. Most students enjoyed OOPRT and believed future classes should receive the training. OOPRT resulted in significant 1-year improvements in knowledge and attitudes beyond the traditional curriculum. Students trained during M1 showed no knowledge decay compared to those trained later. These findings support SUD and harm reduction curricular reform to ensure medical students learn early how to care for this population. This low-barrier intervention can be easily taught to medical students to improve knowledge and attitudes regarding these topics with the goal of improving care of patients across specialties.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40714881/

Emergency adjunctive therapy for organophosphate poisoning: A meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of adjunctive therapies in patients with organophosphate poisoning. A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from database inception to August 21, 2024. Prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating emergency interventions for organophosphate poisoning were included in the analysis. Clinical outcomes including mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay (LOS) and need for mechanical ventilation were collected. Compared with atropine alone, the atropine plus pralidoxime group showed a significantly higher risk of mortality (P = 0.020) and a longer LOS (P < 0.001), while no significant differences were observed in the need for mechanical ventilation or its duration. For the atropine plus FFP group, no significant differences were found in outcomes including mortality, LOS, or ventilatory parameters. Hemopurification combined with atropine significantly reduced both mortality (P = 0.020) and LOS (P = 0.001). NAC showed a trend towards reduced LOS, although the result was not statistically significant. MgSO₄ and glycopyrrolate exhibited potential benefits in reducing LOS, although the results were not statistically significant. NaHCO₃ significantly reduced LOS (P = 0.05). The use of pralidoxime may be associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes, calling into question its routine application in organophosphate poisoning. In contrast, hemopurification was associated with a significant reduction in mortality and may represent a promising adjunctive therapeutic strategy.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40714568/

Economic stimulus for households during the COVID-19 pandemic may have mitigated rise in overdose deaths.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40714385/