Substance Abuse
Goal & Educational Purpose The harmful use of and addiction to alcohol and other drugs – including prescription drugs – is one of the nation’s major and most costly health problems.  Excluding nicotine, alcohol and other drug problems are present in 10% to 20% of ambulatory patients and in 25% to 50% of general hospital patients.  Since over 20% of U.S. adults are regular cigarette smokers, nicotine addictions add measurably to the already high prevalence.  Despite its high prevalence, physicians (and sometimes patients themselves) often fail to recognize a substance abuse problem.  Also, because of the stigma attached to substance abuse, people with this problem may not reveal it to their physician.  Making this diagnosis a high priority since substance abuse and dependence cause numerous medical problems, may masquerade as other psychiatric diagnoses, and may complicate ongoing therapeutic management of other diseases.  The primary care physician is the first line of defense in recognizing and treating disorders of substance abuse and addiction.
Objectives  
Educational Content  
Evaluation
  • In-training Examination results.
  • Review of resident’s performance by attending physician
Reading List
  • SUBTANCE ABUSE CHAPTERS IN HARRISONS TEXTBOOK OF MEDICINE
  • ARTICLE FILES
  • MKSAP - {most recent addition}
  • UpToDate®

West Virginia University |  Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center (Morgantown) |  West Virginia University Charleston Division | Internal Medicine