Faculty Bibliography

Clonidine hydrochloride was administered to ten patients in an inpatient setting after abrupt discontinuation of chronic methadone hydrochloride administration. Clonidine produced a rapid and statistically significant decrease in opiate withdrawal signs and symptoms. Clonidine administration for 14 days enabled all patients to be successfully detoxified from chronic opiate administration. In all patients studied, clonidine was a safe and effective nonopiate treatment of opiate withdrawal that suppressed the affect, signs, and symptoms of opiate withdrawal. These data support the hypothesis that the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine, has substantial antiwithdrawal effect by replacing opiate-mediated inhibition with alpha 2-mediated inhibition of brain noradrenergic activity

The pattern of use of psychiatry over a 12-month period in a university-based primary care center is reported. Interest in pursuing careers in family practice and amount of time spent in the center were related to seeking consultation. All nurse practitioners and social workers sought psychiatric consultations. The majority of patients received care for their psychiatric problems by their primary care clinicians after consultation rather than being referred to a traditional psychiatric clinic