Drugs and Substances Reported in Emergency Department Presentations with Acute Recreational Drug / Substance Toxicity
Aisha Emad *
Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.
Enas El Madah
Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.
Neven Hassan
Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.
Khaled Saad
Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Egypt.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To evaluate the self-reported drugs/substances in the emergency department presentations with acute recreational drug toxicity in a tertiary hospital.
Study Design: Cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Clinical Toxicology Department, Tanta University. Between January 2019 and December 2020.
Methodology: The data regarding the self-reported drug(s) / substance(s) in patients presenting to an Emergency Department in a tertiary hospital were collected and analyzed. The prevalence of each recreational drug/substance reported by the patients was calculated.
Results: There were 373 recreational drugs/substances reported by 248 cases. The most frequently self-reported drug(s)/substance(s) were ethanol (reported by 122 cases), followed by cocaine (94 cases), opiates (36 cases), cannabis (30 cases), and amphetamine-like stimulants (29 cases). Other drugs/substances as spice (synthetic cannabinoids), benzodiazepines, pregabalin, methadone, and others were reported by the patients as well. In the remaining 16 of the total 264 cases (6.1%), the recreational drug(s) that had been used were unknown to or not reported by the patients.
Conclusion: In conclusion, this study revealed that in this tertiary hospital ED, the main recreational drugs leading to the ED presentation with acute recreational drug/substance toxicity as reported by the patients were ethanol followed by cocaine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamine-like stimulants. Other drugs/substances as spice (synthetic cannabinoids), benzodiazepines, pregabalin, methadone, and others were reported by the patients as well.
Keywords: Recreational drugs, toxicity, overdose and emergency.