Description
Medical comorbidities are common among patients with opioid use disorder. Signs and symptoms of acute or chronic infectious diseases often prompt patients to seek medical care. Addiction providers should have a firm understanding of recognition of and treatment approaches for patients with medical comorbidities. The addiction provider can play a role in education, prevention and treatment of medical comorbidities of patients with opioid use disorder. This module will review features of skin and soft tissue infections among people who inject drugs, review risk factors for HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV), describe prevention interventions for HIV and HCV, and discuss treatment approaches for HIV and HCV in patients with opioid use disorder.
Target Audience
Physicians, nurses, and healthcare teams who are treating patients with substance use disorder (SUD).
Presenter
Jeanette M. Tetrault, MD, FACP, FASAM | Associate Professor of Medicine; Program Director, Addiction Medicine Fellowship; and Yale University School of Medicine
Credit Designations Available
Interprofessional Continuing Education credit, AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, and Nursing Contact Hours.
Core Competencies as a result of participating in this activity
Interpersonal Skills and Communication
Medical Knowledge
Patient Care
Educational Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity participants should be able to:
Recognize skin and soft tissue infections in people who inject drugs
Educate individuals about risk factors and risk groups for Hepatitis C and HIV
Describe prevention interventions for HCV and HIV including effective addiction treatment, behavioral risk reduction, and antiviral agents
Discuss how treatment regimens for both HCV and HIV are highly effective in patients with OUD and can be safely used with opioid agonist therapy
Method of participating in the learning process
In order to receive maximum credit, learners must:
1. Review the materials provided in this module.
2. Earn a minimum cumulative score of 80% on the post-test.
3. Complete an evaluation to assess satisfaction and plans for individual and/or team practice change.
4. Follow instructions at the end of the course regarding how to retrieve a certificate.*
*Credit will not be awarded unless all components of the program are completed. Partial credit will not be awarded.