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Opioid withdrawal for adolescent opioid users
Summary of the evidence
Detoxification treatment alone or in combination with psychosocial intervention compared to no intervention, other pharmacological intervention or psychosocial interventions was assessed in a systematic review (Minozzi et al., 2014, 2 RCTs, N= 190 between 13–18 years of age) finding no conclusive results on:
- completion of treatment;
- reducing the use of substances; and
- improving health and social status.
Among the studies enclosed in the review, one (N=152) compared buprenorphine detoxification with Buprenorphine-Naloxone substitution and found that:
- the detox group group had more patients dropping out (RR 2.67, 95 % CI 1.85 to 3.86);
- but no differences were found for opioid use (RR 1.03, 95 % CI 0.82 to 1.28).
