Clinical and financial implications of emergency department visits for synthetic marijuana
| Autor: | Mandi W. Musso, David Benson, Eric Rowley, Aaron Tiffee, Henry Zeng, Glenn N. Jones, Adam Hockensmith |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Abdominal pain Adolescent Substance-Related Disorders Nausea Hostility Young Adult 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Synthetic cannabinoids medicine Humans Hospital Costs Aged Retrospective Studies biology Medical treatment Cannabinoids business.industry Incidence 030208 emergency & critical care medicine General Medicine Emergency department Middle Aged biology.organism_classification medicine.disease United States 030227 psychiatry Hospitalization Substance Abuse Detection Emergency Medicine Vomiting Female Cannabis Medical emergency medicine.symptom Emergency Service Hospital business medicine.drug |
| Zdroj: | The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 35:1506-1509 |
| ISSN: | 0735-6757 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.04.044 |
| Popis: | Background Many users believe that synthetic cannabinoids offer a safe and legal means of getting high. However, spikes in emergency department visits have been associated with use of synthetic cannabinoids. The purpose of the current study was to document emergency department visits from three large hospitals in one metropolitan area over a two month period. Method This was a retrospective chart review examining 218 patients presenting to three inner city emergency departments between March and April 2014. Data collected included demographic information, information regarding ED diagnosis and treatment, signs and symptoms, ancillary testing, ED disposition, and cost of the medical treatment. Results The majority of patients (75.7%) were discharged after ED workup, but 12.4% were admitted for medical treatment and 11.5% were admitted for psychiatric treatment. Ten patients (4.6%) were admitted to the ICU. Symptoms experienced most frequently include: hypertension, tachycardia, agitation, drowsiness, nausea, and confusion. Cluster analysis revealed four symptom clusters of individuals presenting after using synthetic cannabinoids: 1) confusion, hostility, agitation, 2) nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, 3) drowsiness, and 4) the absence of these symptoms. Conclusion This study has three important findings. First, significant ED resources are being used to treat individuals presenting due to effects of synthetic cannabis. Second, synthetic cannabis is not a benign substance. Third, while the hostile and agitated user is generally presented in the media, this study finds significant heterogeneity in presentation. Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of synthetic cannabinoid use. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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