fluke. an organism of the class trematoda, characterized by a body that is usually flat and often leaflike; flukes can infect the blood, liver, intestines, and lungs.Called also trematode. Flukes are not common in the United States but are a serious problem in many Asian, tropical, and subtropical countries.nother liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, is occasionally found in humans; it causes obstruction of the bile ducts and enlargement of the liver. Blood flukes such as Schistosoma penetrate the skin, make their way to the blood and travel to various parts of the body (see also schistosomiasis).
How Medication-Assisted Treatment Can Help Opioid Addiction. When people become dependent on opioids, they feel sick when there are no opioids in the body. This sickness is known as withdrawal. Along with intense cravings, withdrawal is a hallmark of opioid addiction, and the two combined can make recovery especially difficult. By helping to reduce cravings and withdrawal, medication-assisted treatment can help a person stop thinking constantly about the problem drug.
Prescription drug abuse in the elderly. Martin CM. The increased use of prescription drugs has brought pain relief too many and often improved the quality of life of elderly patients.But the increase in use and availability of prescription medications-especially controlled substances-brings with it an increased potential for abuse.tudies have shown that intentional abuse of prescription drugs is increasing among all age groups. As the number of persons 65 years of age and older skyrockets with the aging of the baby boomers, experts predict that prescription drug abuse among the elderly also will rise significantly.