OUTCOMES OF ULTRARAPID OPIATE DETOXIFICATION COMBINED WITH NALTREXONEMAINTENANCE AND COUNSELING

Combining naltrexone and clonidine under general anesthesia is being u sed to shorten opiate detoxification. This study determined the one-ye ar relapse rate of persons detoxified using this ultrarapid method in conjunction with naltrexone maintenance and counseling. Structured tel ephone interviews were held with 83 out of a random sample of 113 male patients who were detoxified via the ultrarapid method more than one year before the interview (average 1.5 years) and their significant ot hers. Relapse was defined as at least two weeks of daily opiate use. A ccording to patients and significant others, 57 percent of patients ha d not relapsed. This rate is better than rates obtained in studies of other detoxification methods.