2011
Chronic pain, Addiction severity, and misuse of opioids in Cumberland County, Maine
Heimer R, Dasgupta N, Irwin KS, Kinzly M, Harvey AP, Givens A, Grau LE. Chronic pain, Addiction severity, and misuse of opioids in Cumberland County, Maine. Addictive Behaviors 2011, 37: 346-349. PMID: 22138379, DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.11.017.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAddiction Severity IndexBrief Pain InventoryChronic painOpioid abuseBPI scoresMisuse of opioidsCommon co-occurring conditionsSubstance abuse treatment programsCommunity-based sampleCo-occurring conditionsSubstance abuse treatmentStreet-recruited sampleOrder of onsetRespondent-driven samplingPain InventoryPain managementIllicit opioidsOpioid misuseRegular physicianOpioid abusersDaily livingPainDrug misusePrior monthTreatment programSubpopulations of Illicit Drug Users Reached by Targeted Street Outreach and Respondent-Driven Sampling Strategies: Implications for Research and Public Health Practice
Rudolph AE, Crawford ND, Latkin C, Heimer R, Benjamin EO, Jones KC, Fuller CM. Subpopulations of Illicit Drug Users Reached by Targeted Street Outreach and Respondent-Driven Sampling Strategies: Implications for Research and Public Health Practice. Annals Of Epidemiology 2011, 21: 280-289. PMID: 21376275, PMCID: PMC3062521, DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2010.11.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRespondent-driven samplingPublic health practiceIllicit drug usersDrug usersStreet outreachHealth practicesDrug network characteristicsLog-binomial regressionNeedle exchange programsPublic health practitionersBaseline questionnaireHeroin usersDrug useHealth practitionersCocaine usersRecruitment wavesDifferent subgroupsRecruitment biasesRecruitment strategiesDescriptive statisticsNew York CityYork CityHeroinExchange programs
2010
Epidemiologic trends and geographic patterns of fatal opioid intoxications in Connecticut, USA: 1997–2007
Green TC, Grau LE, Carver HW, Kinzly M, Heimer R. Epidemiologic trends and geographic patterns of fatal opioid intoxications in Connecticut, USA: 1997–2007. Drug And Alcohol Dependence 2010, 115: 221-228. PMID: 21131140, PMCID: PMC3095753, DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.11.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPrescription opioidsOpioid typeIntoxication deathsRisk factorsDrug intoxication deathsHeroin-related deathsOpioid-related deathsFatal opioid overdoseChief Medical ExaminerOpioid intoxicationOpioid deathsDrug poisoningInjury deathsEpidemiologic trendsOpioid overdoseOpioidsDeath locationPrevention effortsDeathMedical examinersRegression analysisSignificant increasePublic healthEpidemiologyHeroinComparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia
Abdala N, White E, Toussova OV, Krasnoselskikh TV, Verevochkin S, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Comparing sexual risks and patterns of alcohol and drug use between injection drug users (IDUs) and non-IDUs who report sexual partnerships with IDUs in St. Petersburg, Russia. BMC Public Health 2010, 10: 676. PMID: 21054855, PMCID: PMC2988741, DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-676.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersIDU sex partnersNon-IDUsRisky alcohol useSex partnersAlcohol useIDU populationSexual riskSexual transmissionUnprotected sexAlcohol Use Disorders Identification TestHIV prevention programsMultiple sexual partnersPatterns of alcoholSexual risk behaviorsSubstance use patternsDisorders Identification TestRisky sexual practicesHIV infectionMethamphetamine injectionAssessed associationsBackgroundTo dateCasual partnersGeneral populationDrug usersThe Relative Role of Perceived Partner Risks in Promoting Condom Use in a Three-City Sample of High-Risk, Low-Income Women
Ober AJ, Iguchi MY, Weiss RE, Gorbach PM, Heimer R, Ouellet LJ, Shoptaw S, Anglin MD, Zule WA. The Relative Role of Perceived Partner Risks in Promoting Condom Use in a Three-City Sample of High-Risk, Low-Income Women. AIDS And Behavior 2010, 15: 1347-1358. PMID: 20976538, PMCID: PMC3180610, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-010-9840-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchEstimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic
Niccolai LM, Verevochkin SV, Toussova OV, White E, Barbour R, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Estimates of HIV incidence among drug users in St. Petersburg, Russia: continued growth of a rapidly expanding epidemic. European Journal Of Public Health 2010, 21: 613-619. PMID: 20798184, PMCID: PMC3180633, DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckq115.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersRetrospective cohort analysisHIV incidenceEnzyme immunoassayHIV epidemicCohort analysisDrug usersBED capture enzyme immunoassayHIV incident casesRecent HIV incidenceHigh HIV incidenceHIV prevention interventionsCross-sectional studyCapture enzyme immunoassayIncident infectionsIncident casesEstimate incidenceIndependent correlatesIncidence rateIncidence estimatesPrevention interventionsCurrent epidemic situationIncidenceVulnerable populationsLow specificity[The study of characteristics of overdose among users of opioid drug injections].
Iliuk R, Krupitskiĭ E, Torban M, Kozlov A, Blinnikova K, Heimer R, Green T, Grau L. [The study of characteristics of overdose among users of opioid drug injections]. S S Korsakov Journal Of Neurology And Psychiatry 2010, 110: 33-43. PMID: 21322146.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid overdose riskMore health problemsNonfatal overdosesRole of alcoholDrug injectionOverdose riskEarly diagnosisComorbid disordersOverdose preventionSomatic disordersHealth problemsOverdoseLonger abstinenceMental disordersOverdose situationsDeath casesDisordersSufficient helpOverdosesAdditional predictorsFamily psychotherapyDrug qualityHigher numberDiagnosisAbstinence
2009
Hepatitis C virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infection
Paintsil E, Verevochkin SV, Dukhovlinova E, Niccolai L, Barbour R, White E, Toussova OV, Alexander L, Kozlov AP, Heimer R. Hepatitis C virus infection among drug injectors in St Petersburg, Russia: social and molecular epidemiology of an endemic infection. Addiction 2009, 104: 1881-1890. PMID: 19712125, PMCID: PMC2763027, DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02687.x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersHepatitis C virusRespondent-driven samplingPrevalent infectionMajority of IDUsHepatitis C virus infectionSustained virological responseC virus infectionRespondent-driven sampleAssociation of genotypesIDU communityVirological responseHCV infectionAntiviral therapyC virusGenotype 3aDrug injectionVirus infectionDrug injectorsBlood samplesHCV sequencesDrug usersEndemic infectionInfectionMolecular epidemiologyPeridomestic Lyme Disease Prevention Results of a Population-Based Case–Control Study
Connally NP, Durante AJ, Yousey-Hindes KM, Meek JI, Nelson RS, Heimer R. Peridomestic Lyme Disease Prevention Results of a Population-Based Case–Control Study. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 2009, 37: 201-206. PMID: 19595558, DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.04.026.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnimalsCase-Control StudiesChildChild, PreschoolConnecticutEnvironment DesignEnvironmental ExposureFemaleHumansHygieneInfantLogistic ModelsLyme DiseaseMaleMatched-Pair AnalysisMiddle AgedPopulation SurveillanceProspective StudiesResidence CharacteristicsRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesTicksYoung AdultConceptsCase-control studyLyme diseaseDisease prevention initiativesConditional logistic regressionDisease prevention measuresErythema migransPotential confoundersRecreational exposureLogistic regressionProspective ageDiseaseCase onsetPrevention resultsPrevention measuresPersonal protectionRiskHoursConfoundersMigransTicksInfectionStudyConnecticut communitiesMonthsPotential Bridges of Heterosexual HIV Transmission from Drug Users to the General Population in St. Petersburg, Russia: Is it Easy to be a Young Female?
Toussova O, Shcherbakova I, Volkova G, Niccolai L, Heimer R, Kozlov A. Potential Bridges of Heterosexual HIV Transmission from Drug Users to the General Population in St. Petersburg, Russia: Is it Easy to be a Young Female? Journal Of Urban Health 2009, 86: 121-130. PMID: 19533368, PMCID: PMC2705483, DOI: 10.1007/s11524-009-9364-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsIDU sex partnersInjection drug usersSex partnersNon-IDUsGeneral populationDrug usersYoung femalesHeterosexual HIV transmissionEpidemic of HIVHIV diagnosisHIV transmissionSexual transmissionHIV preventionPotential bridgeFurther transmissionYoung womenAlcohol useConvenience sampleSignificant correlatesSignificant predictorsUrgent effortsFemalesEpidemicLast yearsLow levels
2008
High HIV Prevalence, Suboptimal HIV Testing, and Low Knowledge of HIV-Positive Serostatus Among Injection Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia
Niccolai LM, Toussova OV, Verevochkin SV, Barbour R, Heimer R, Kozlov AP. High HIV Prevalence, Suboptimal HIV Testing, and Low Knowledge of HIV-Positive Serostatus Among Injection Drug Users in St. Petersburg, Russia. AIDS And Behavior 2008, 14: 932-941. PMID: 18843531, PMCID: PMC3116648, DOI: 10.1007/s10461-008-9469-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsInjection drug usersHIV-positive serostatusHIV prevalenceHIV testingDrug usersHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalenceRecent doctor visitHigh HIV prevalenceUnsafe injectionsPositive serostatusDoctor visitsSerostatusHIVPrevalencePoor knowledgeVirus prevalenceLow knowledgeTesting patternsHistory/Adequate coverageCorrelatesInfectionVisitsMonths
2007
Illicit Use of Opioids: Is OxyContin® a “Gateway Drug”?
Grau LE, Dasgupta N, Harvey A, Irwin K, Givens A, Kinzly M, Heimer R. Illicit Use of Opioids: Is OxyContin® a “Gateway Drug”? American Journal On Addictions 2007, 16: 166-173. PMID: 17612819, DOI: 10.1080/10550490701375293.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
1998
Can Syringe Exchange Serve as a Conduit to Substance Abuse Treatment?
Heimer R. Can Syringe Exchange Serve as a Conduit to Substance Abuse Treatment? Journal Of Substance Use And Addiction Treatment 1998, 15: 183-191. PMID: 9633030, DOI: 10.1016/s0740-5472(97)00220-1.Peer-Reviewed Original Research