Consistent engagement with current medical literature enables clinicians to apply the latest evidence-based treatment and integrate research into clinical practice. This approach enhances patient outcomes by facilitating more effective and individualized care.

Today, we’re showcasing some of the latest addiction medicine-related articles published recently across medical journals. The article topics in today’s rundown focus on three forms of withdrawal: opioid withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal, and nicotine withdrawal.

Opioid Withdrawal Articles

Early Pharmacotherapy Versus No Pharmacotherapy: Difference in Skin Conductance Response to Physical Stimuli in Infants with Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome

  • BMC Pediatrics
  • July 2026
  • Description: Infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome often exhibit heightened sympathetic arousal that increases with symptom severity, with more severe clinical signs linked to elevated skin conductance responses. It is hypothesized that early pharmacotherapy may be associated with these physiologic stress responses. The purpose of the study is to examine whether early pharmacotherapy (within 24-48 hours of birth) is associated with skin conductance responses in infants at risk for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
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Buprenorphine-Naloxone vs Extended-Release Naltrexone Following Opioid Withdrawal Treatment

  • JAMA Network Open
  • July 2026
  • Description: Buprenorphine-naloxone and extended-release (XR) naltrexone are both efficacious medications for opioid use disorder that reduce unregulated opioid use and improve opioid cravings and treatment retention. While prior comparative effectiveness studies demonstrated superiority of buprenorphine-naloxone over XR naltrexone for relapse and treatment retention, the comparative effectiveness of both treatments for all-cause mortality and nonfatal opioid overdose outcomes has not been rigorously tested.
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Self-Reported Cannabis Use to Manage Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms and Reductions in Opioid Use Among People Who Use Unregulated Opioids: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

  • Journal of Cannabis Research
  • June 2026
  • Description: Opioid withdrawal is a significant challenge for people seeking to reduce or eliminate opioid use, and unmanaged withdrawal increases the risk of relapse and overdose. Using cannabis to manage opioid withdrawal has been reported by people who use opioids, yet it is not clear whether this leads to reductions in opioid use.
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Alcohol Withdrawal Articles

Healthcare Professionals Perspectives Surrounding the Use of Medicinal Ethanol for the Management of Acute Alcohol Withdrawal in Hospital Settings

  • Annals of Medicine
  • August 2026
  • Description: Alcohol withdrawal is a life-threatening complication of sudden cessation of alcohol intake in a dependent individual. Medicinal ethanol demonstrates promise in addressing the symptoms of severe alcohol withdrawal; however, its wider implementation and evaluation in acute hospital settings is limited by a lack of acceptability and feasibility data.
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Comparing Length of Stay Between Adult Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Treated with Phenobarbital Versus Lorazepam

  • Journal of Critical Care Medicine
  • July 2026
  • Description: [The objective of the study was to] review the use of phenobarbital and lorazepam to treat alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) in the ICU, compare length of stay, examine medication use trends, implement provider training, and evaluate outcomes post-training.
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Pyridoxine/Pyridoxal-5′-Phosphate Repletion to Improve Outcomes of Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome and Promote Long-Term Abstinence: A Hypothesis

  • Clinical Toxicology
  • July 2026
  • Description: Deficiency of pyridoxal-5-phosphate, the clinically measured and active form of pyridoxine (vitamin B6), is prevalent among those with alcohol use disorder. However, unlike thiamine, pyridoxal-5-phosphate is not routinely repleted. Evidence is presented that its repletion would improve outcomes of alcohol withdrawal syndrome and promote long-term abstinence.
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Nicotine Withdrawal Articles

Nicotine Withdrawal Syndrome in Intensive Care Patients—Preventive and Therapeutic Implications

  • Medical Sciences
  • July 2026
  • Description: Nicotine dependence is a chronic disorder with both psychological and somatic components which, in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting, may affect the course of treatment through mechanisms related both to long-term nicotine exposure and to the consequences of its abrupt cessation. The aim was to collect and map the current knowledge on smoking-related complications, the prevalence of nicotine withdrawal symptoms in this group, and to identify and describe interventions used to prevent or alleviate nicotine withdrawal symptoms in patients hospitalised in the ICU.
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Glycyrrhizic Acid Mitigates the Risk of Nicotine Addiction and Nicotine Withdrawal: The Modulation of Kynurenine Aminotransferase II

  • Journal of Advanced Pharmaceutical Technology & Research
  • May 2026
  • Description: Nicotine, a key addictive compound in cigarettes, contributes to withdrawal symptoms that hinder smoking cessation success. Understanding the neurochemical basis of nicotine addiction and withdrawal is critical for developing effective therapies.
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When the Scalpel Forces Abstinence: Managing Nicotine Withdrawal After Maxillofacial Surgery

  • Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
  • May 2026
  • Description: In oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), a peculiar phenomenon often unfolds quietly in the wards—the involuntary abstinence of nicotine. A patient with a mandibular fracture wired shut, a composite resection under general anesthesia, or an orthognathic surgery patient restricted from oral intake is suddenly, and often unwillingly, stripped of nicotine. What follows is not mere irritability—it is a neurochemical revolt. While surgeons focus on airway, alignment, and aesthetics, the patient's mind is battling withdrawal. This abrupt, unplanned cessation remains one of the most under-recognized perioperative challenges in OMS.
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