[Iatrogenic addiction of pethidine: clinical feature and experience of detoxification]

Narcotic analgesic pethidine is widely applied in clinical practice to relieve pain caused by cancer or severe surgical conditions. Iatrogenic addiction following long term medication of narcotic analgesics have been noticed but rarely documented. In this presentation, the authors studied the clinical feature of pethidine dependency as well as experiences of residential detoxification in analysing 34 cases collected in the National Drug Dependence Treatment Center in previous two years. Manifestation of pethidine addiction are much alike to heroin and all abstinent syndromes can be relieved either by methadone or clonidine within 3 weeks except psychological craving throughout the detoxification period. In conclusion, the authors hold that iatrogenic narcotic addiction of this kind is curable as long as the addicts are highly and conscientiously motivated together with rehabilitation measures after detoxification.