MMWR – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

1. Emergency Department Visits for Nonmedical Use of Prescription Drugs – United States, 2004–2008

SAMHSA Press Office
Phone: (240) 276-2130

The alarming increase in recent years in emergency department visits for nonmedical use of prescription pain medications demonstrates that additional interventions are urgently needed to prevent the negative health effects due to the misuse of prescription drugs. The estimated number of emergency department visits involving nonmedical use of opioid pain medications rose 111.5 percent from 2004 to 2008, and 29.0 percent from 2007 to 2008. Among opioids, the highest numbers were recorded for oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone, all of which showed significant increases. Interventions to address this growing problem include universal use of state prescription tracking programs by providers, the routine monitoring of insurance claims information for signs of misuse, and the restriction of patients using drugs inappropriately to single providers by insurers.

2. Perceived Need and Receipt of Services During Pregnancy – Oklahoma and South Carolina, 2004–2007

CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
Phone: (404) 639-3286

Prenatal care visits present an opportunity for health-care providers to offer services and educate women about behaviors and exposures that might affect their pregnancy and birth outcomes. To determine whether women who identified a need for a service during pregnancy received that service, CDC analyzed Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) for Oklahoma and South Carolina. The results indicated substantial gaps in 1) assistance in reducing violence in the home, 2) counseling information for family or personal problems, 3) smoking cessation, 4) help with an alcohol or drug problem, and 5) dental care. Greater adherence by health-care providers to established guidance might help reduce the gaps, and additional research to identify obstacles to receipt of services might enable state programs to further narrow these gaps. These findings indicate a need to reduce the gaps in identified need and receipt of services during pregnancy, in particular for reducing violence in the home, counseling information for family or person problems, and smoking cessation.

3. Travel-Associated Dengue Surveillance – United States, 2006–2008

CDC Division of News and Electronic Media
Phone: (404) 639-3286

Dengue is a health risk when traveling to tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Travelers going to areas where dengue is present should promptly seek medical care if illness occurs when they return home and inform their health care provider of their recent travel. Dengue infections commonly occur among United States residents returning from travel to endemic areas in the Caribbean, Central and South America, South Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Dengue is also more common than malaria among travelers returning from these areas. Persons traveling to areas where dengue is endemic should use insect repellents, wear protective clothing, and reside in facilities with screens and air conditioning when available. No vaccine is available for preventing dengue infection. Preventing travel-associated dengue not only benefits the traveler, but also helps prevent the introduction of dengue virus into areas of tropical and subtropical areas of the United States (primarily the southeastern states), where vector mosquitoes could transmit the virus indigenously.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES