5-Year Retrospective Evaluation of Drug Addicts with Psychiatric Problems in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Introduction: Illicit drug addiction and comorbid psychiatric disorders are among the most complex patient groups in the emergency department. In this study, to share the results of patients who admitted to our emergency department after illicit drug abuse and accepted hospitalization and treatment in the rehabilitation clinic. Methods: The study was planned retrospectively and in two centers. The medical records of patients who were admitted to the emergency department between 1th of January 2015 and 31th of December 2019 and subsequently received addiction treatment in our rehabilitation clinic were examined. Among the patients included in the study, the data of the patients with positive results in the urine drug and alcohol screening were analyzed and the study was completed. Results: In our study, the mean age was 32.09 y. It was observed that 12.5% of the cases had a psychiatric disorder. The most frequently detected illicit drugs are amphetamine and cannabis. The average length of stay was 11.57 days. The average number of admissions to the emergency department was 5.81 ± 3.03. The most common symptoms at admission were injury 114 and muscle pain 94. Conclusion: Especially low socioeconomic level increases susceptibility to illicit drug abuse. In addition, individuals with psychiatric problems also tend to use illicit drugs. With illicit drug abuse, the possibility of being involved in judicial cases also increases. It is appropriate to follow up patients who apply to the emergency department by rehabilitation units for their long-term treatment.