Gabriela Grigorasi, Diana Cimpoesu, Ovidiu Tudor Popa, Anca Haisan, Bashtawi Mariem, Irina Ciumanghel, Mihaela Corlade
Drug consumption especially among teenagers is recognized as a major public health problem, with evidence that its use has significant neurological and psychosocial health consequences. The present study aimed to describe the acute recreational drug toxicity resulting in attendances to a large urban Emergency Department (ED) in the North-East region of Romania. A descriptive retrospective study was conducted for a five months period which included all patients admitted to the ED for voluntary/accidental exposure to ethanol, cannabis, cannabinoids and new psychoactive (ethnobotanical) substances (NPS). The studied group included 60 patients, average age 37 years old, with an increased incidence of consumption in the age group 21 years-30 years. The most commonly reported clinical symptoms were: unrest reported by 75% patients, restlessness reported by 47% patients, and cardiovascular abnormalities. Cardiologic disturbances, such as tachycardia and bradycardia, were reported in 52% cases and dyspnea was reported by 50% of patients, cough especially by first time consumers of cannabis and NPS. No significant differences were noted in the analyzed social factors and the risk of suicide attempt: the reason for the intake of a psychoactive substance, a history of suicide attempt, a history of alcoholic issues, a history of illicit drug abuse, a history of drug addiction treatment (p>0.05). The management of intoxicated patients has been described in numerous guidelines in order to standardize the emergency response, undergoing improvements over time compared to the results obtained so far. The initial approach is very important because it has an important contribution in decreasing morbidity and mortality, as well as to the long-term survival of patients.
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