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A Double‐blind Placebo Controlled Study of Male Alcoholics Given a Subcutaneous Disulfiram Implantation
Author(s) -
JOHNSEN JON,
STOWELL ALLAN,
BACHEWIIG JON ERIK,
STENSRUD TORE,
RIPEL A°SE,
MØRLAND JØRG
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1987.tb01522.x
Subject(s) - disulfiram , placebo , acetaldehyde , medicine , anesthesia , ethanol , double blind , alcohol , clinical trial , randomized controlled trial , pharmacology , chemistry , biochemistry , alternative medicine , organic chemistry , pathology
Summary Twenty‐one alcoholics participated in a double blind study to elicit information of the clinical effect of implanted disulfiram. They were randomized to either of two groups, 11 patients to the placebo group and 10 patients to the disulfiram group. Each patient was subjected to seven sessions of intravenous ethanol challenge, once before and six times during the first 20 weeks after implantation. The acute ethanol challenge did not result in any differences between the groups with respect to blood ethanol and acetaldehyde concentrations. No patient showed any clinical signs of disulfiram‐ethanol reaction. After a study period of 20 weeks no significant differences were found between the groups with regard to the reduction in average ethanol consumption, days from implantation to the first drink and number of abstinent weeks. Our results do not support the idea that a 1 g disulfiram implant has any pharmacological or clinical action.