Addictology consultations: Experience of the outpatient department of the Razi hospital

Abstract

Introduction

The addiction is a social and universal phenomenon. Its coverage is quite recent in Tunisia. It requires a facilitation of the access to healthcare, with broadcasting of the policy of reduction of risks.

Objectives

Raise a current situation of the addicting conducts of our patients.

Methods

Retrospective descriptive study, concerned the patients having an addiction in psychoactive substances followed in the external consultation of the hospital Razi between November 2014 and September 2016.

Results

The average age was 34 ± 10.23 years.

Among the patients, 93.7% was of sex male.

Almost half immigrated in secret in Europe.

Seventy-five percent had criminal record.

The most used product was tobacco followed by alcohol, cannabis, benzodiazepines, Trihexyphenidyl and the opiates.

The buprenorphin is the most consummate opiate in misuse.

Target substances of the request of weaning are respectively: the buprenorphin (58.87%), benzodiazepines (12.63%), the trihexyphenidyl (7.71%), the alcohol (5.61%), the cannabis (5.26%).

A pathological personality was raised in 17.5%.

A psychiatric comorbidity was found to 8% of the patients.

The coverage is made on 3 shutters: biological by the symptomatic treatment of the weaning and the comorbidities, psychological and social by the social and occupational reintegration thanks to non-governmental organizations.

Conclusion

Addictology is a stigmatized speciality in Tunisia, by the peculiarity of the patients and the slowness of the results. Nevertheless the number of consultants does not stop increasing where from the interest to create more specialized services and structures of rehabilitation.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.