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EMERGENCY ROOM ADMISSION IN POLYDRUG CONSUMERS: ONE YEAR SURVEY IN ROMANIA

ROBERT DANIEL VASILE¹, DANIELA BACONI^1*, MARIA BÂRCĂ¹, ANNE-MARIE CIOBANU¹, CRISTIAN BĂLĂLĂU²

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Information on drug consumption obtained from emergency room clinical records are among the indirect indicators often used to describe the profile of drug consumers and to evaluate prevalence trends in the illegal drug use. This paper presents a one-year survey on emergency room admissions of polydrug users, including heroin users in Sf. Pantelimon Emergency Hospital Bucharest, Romania. The records of 2010 from medical emergency room were assessed, in order to characterise the population of drug users consulting the Emergency Service following the consumption of the drugs and needing medical care. Seventy cases were recorded in 2010, with approximately 38% of cases directly related to opiates (mainly heroin). An over-representation of men (55/70 of cases) has characterized the population of drug users studied and the mean age was 27.11 ± 0.67 (median 26) for the whole group. As highlighted in many recent statistics, the use of new psychoactive drugs, such as the so-called "ethnobotanicals" is growing; our study indicates a high level of "ethnobotanicals" drugs, approximately 34% (24/70 of cases). It should be noted that some cases (approximately 16%, 11/70 of cases) were represented by the associated consumption of heroin and "ethnobotanicals" or heroin and hallucinogens, as well as by the opiate withdrawal syndrome. The distribution of the patients according to the age category shows the highest number of consumers in the age group 26-30 years, heroin being the most used drug. The clinical status of the patients was affected, with isolated cases of unconsciousness and mostly with agitation, dizziness or fatigability and drowsiness. The clinical diagnosis was supported in most cases by screening of the urine using multidrug rapid tests. The results of the study suggest that the patients did not suffer excessive or dangerous adverse effects. However, because of the risk of the drug use, and particularly of the potentially higher risk of the new "legal highs" or "ethnobotanical" products, it becomes obvious the need for developing harm reduction interventions.