Unplanned admissions to two Sydney public hospitals after naltrexone implants

Little, Mark; Murray, Lindsay M

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02128.x

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To the Editor: We read with interest the report of 12 hospital presentations related to the use of naltrexone implants.1 The accompanying editorial highlights how the rigorous scrutiny required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this procedure is lacking.2 Regrettably, this study is likely to distort rather than inform the debate.

1 Department of Emergency Medicine, Caboolture Hospital, Caboolture, QLD.
2 Department of Emergency Medicine, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA.

Correspondence: mark.little@health.wa.gov.au

1. Lintzeris N, Lee S, Scopelliti L, et al. Unplanned admissions to two Sydney public hospitals after naltrexone implants. Med J Aust 2008; 188: 441-444. <MJA full text>
2. Wodak AD, Ali R, Henry D, Sansom L. Ensuring the safety of new medications and devices: are naltrexone implants safe [editorial]? Med J Aust 2008; 188: 438-439. <MJA full text>
3. Gilbert EH, Lowenstein SR, Koziol-McLain J, et al. Chart reviews in emergency medicine research: where are the methods? Ann Emerg Med 1996; 27: 305-308.
4. Armstrong J, Little M, Murray L. Emergency department presentations of naltrexone-accelerated detoxification. Acad Emerg Med 2003; 10: 860-866.

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