JAAPA CME Post-Test December 2025

Managing Opioid Withdrawal in the ED: Best Practices for Buprenorphine Induction

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a pervasive, undertreated condition best managed with medications. Buprenorphine is a partial agonist with high affinity for the mu opioid receptor. It is particularly effective in treating OUD, resulting in reduced opioid use, risk of overdose, and all-cause mortality. Buprenorphine induction in the emergency department (ED) is an evidence-based practice for initiating OUD treatment while managing opioid withdrawal symptoms. Current guidelines from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommend following a standard-dose induction regimen implemented over 2 days. However, variability exists among ED-initiated protocols in terms of timing, dose, duration, and formulation. ED providers should use their clinical judgment when approaching buprenorphine induction for opioid withdrawal management and OUD treatment. This activity reviews current evidence and practical strategies for initiating buprenorphine in the ED, with an emphasis on patient evaluation, buprenorphine dosing, and continuity of care.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
  • Identify characteristic clinical features of opioid withdrawal in patients in the ED
  • Compare pharmacologic treatment options for OUD
  • Apply evidence-based approaches to buprenorphine induction in the ED, including timing and dosing
  • Develop plans for care continuation and overdose prevention, including bridge prescriptions, treatment referrals, and naloxone distribution

Beyond Childhood: Understanding ADHD in Adults

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that often persists into adulthood. Adults may first receive a diagnosis in primary care, sometimes after previously unrecognized childhood symptoms. Reports of de novo “adult-onset ADHD” remain controversial and, when scrutinized, are most often explained by previously subthreshold childhood symptoms, alternative psychiatric or medical causes, or measurement error. If an adult presents with symptoms of ADHD but onset cannot be substantiated before age 12 years, providers should systematically rule out mimics—which include mood and anxiety disorders, substance use disorder, sleep disorders, traumatic brain injury, thyroid disorders, and medication side effects—before labeling the presentation as adult-onset ADHD. This activity outlines the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnostic strategies, and evidence-based treatments for ADHD presentations in adults. Primary care clinicians play a key role in recognizing symptoms, initiating evaluation, and implementing multimodal treatment plans to improve patient outcomes.
 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, participants should be able to:
  • Describe how ADHD can first be recognized in adulthood and explain why the concept of “adult-onset ADHD” remains controversial
  • Explain the neurobiological basis of adult ADHD and how it relates to clinical presentation
  • Distinguish adult ADHD from psychiatric and medical conditions with overlapping symptoms, including mood, substance use, and trauma-related disorders
  • Apply DSM-5-TR criteria and validated tools to accurately screen and diagnose adult ADHD while considering key conditions in the differential diagnosis
  • Select and individualize evidence-based treatments—pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic—for adults with ADHD
 

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