rome and Alcoholism

To examine the prevalence of former heroin dependence (FHA) in Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) patients; to compare the clinical characteristics of FHA-AUD patients versus AUD patients without any past use of heroin at alcohol treatment entry; to document the heroin dependence history of FHA-AUD patients, and review treatment strategies for this group.. Retrospective case review of 448 consecutive AUD patients.. The annual entry of FHA-AUD showed stability over the study period of 3 years overall 60/448 (13.3%). FHA-AUD patients showed higher concomitant use of cocaine, benzodiazepines, cannabis and hallucinogens than other heroin addicts. They consumed higher amounts of alcohol at the beginning of their alcohol dependence history, and reached a high maximum level of alcohol consumption, than other AUD patients, and tended to have more physical disorders. The most important signals of FHA-AUD were polyabuse and older age at the time of presentation. FHA-AUD patients tended to have had a severe pattern of heroin dependence associated with inadequate agonist opiate treatment.. The prevalence of FHA-AUD patients is not negligible. This may relate to previous inadequate treatment of heroin addiction contributing to the development of severe AUD. For these patients we propose a reconsideration of 'soft' (low dose) agonist opiate treatment.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Alcoholism; Female; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Rome; Young Adult

To compare Emergency Room (ER) utilisation by subjects diagnosed as suffering from a mental disorder, who were born in Strong Migratory Pressure Countries (SMPC) or in Italy. To evaluate the predictors of admission to psychiatric and to non-psychiatric wards.. Data collected from Information System of Emergency Rooms were analysed. ER contacts in the years 2000-2004 pertaining to subjects who received a psychiatric diagnosis (ICD9-CM codes), and who were born in SMPC or in Italy were examined. "Contacts" included a total of 68,867 assessments made in the ER of all general hospitals in Rome having an acute psychiatric ward. Gender, age and clinical information on SMPC-born and Italian-born patients were compared. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed in order to determine risk factors for admission to a psychiatric or to a non-psychiatric ward.. At the end of follow-up, 11.7% of ER contacts concerned patients born in SMPC. Compared to the Italian-born group, these patients were younger and received more frequently a diagnosis of "Alcohol and substance abuse and dependencies", while admissions to a psychiatric ward were significantly less common.. Monitoring health service utilisation may provide relevant information for the delivery of culturally sensitive mental health services.

Topics: Alcoholism; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Emergency Service, Hospital; Emigrants and Immigrants; Ethnicity; Hospitals, General; Humans; International Classification of Diseases; Mental Disorders; Patient Admission; Psychiatric Department, Hospital; Referral and Consultation; Rome; Substance-Related Disorders; Urban Population; Utilization Review

Topics: Alcoholism; Aphorisms and Proverbs as Topic; Greece, Ancient; Health Education; History, Ancient; Humans; Rome

Topics: Alcoholism; Female; Gout; History, Ancient; Humans; Lead Poisoning; Male; Rome; Social Class; Wine

A study on the relationships between habitual alcohol consumption and the main coronary risk factors was carried out in 520 consecutive high-risk men examined during an annual rescreening of a working population group within the Rome Project of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention. Alcohol intake was determined by means of a semiquantitative questionnaire. The mean daily wine intake was about 0.5 liter, the consumption of other alcoholic beverages being negligible. No statistically significant correlations were found between average daily wine consumption and the main coronary risk factors, while a strongly positive correlation (p less than 0.001) was observed with plasma HDL-cholesterol levels. Also differences in HDL-cholesterol between occasional drinkers and moderate drinkers were statistically significant. No differences were observed in total cholesterol and triglycerides. The findings suggest that habitual moderate amounts of alcohol may increase HDL-cholesterol between occasional drinkers and moderate drinkers were statistically significant. No differences were observed in total cholesterol and triglycerides. The findings suggest that habitual moderate amounts of alcohol may increase HDL-cholesterol levels.

Topics: Adult; Alcoholism; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL; Coronary Disease; Employment; Humans; Lipoproteins, HDL; Male; Middle Aged; Risk; Rome; Wine

The history of wine making and wine drinking by the ancient Romans from earliest times to the fall of the Empire is reviewed. The drinking patterns as reflected in the works of contemporary authors indicate five periods of wine use and attitudes toward drinking.

Topics: Agriculture; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Attitude; Commerce; Economics; Famous Persons; History of Medicine; Humans; Literature; Rome; Wine

Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Ceremonial Behavior; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Culture; Egypt, Ancient; Greece, Ancient; History, Ancient; Humans; Iraq; Motivation; Religion; Rome; Social Conditions

Topics: Alcoholism; Greece, Ancient; History, Ancient; Humans; Rome