Rowley Eric, Benson David, Tiffee Aaron, Hockensmith Adam, Zeng Henry, Jones Glenn N, Musso Mandi W
Baton Rouge General Hospital, Baton Rouge, LA, United States; Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, Baton Rouge Campus, United States.
Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans, Baton Rouge Campus, United States.
Am J Emerg Med. 2017 Oct;35(10):1506-1509. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2017.04.044. Epub 2017 Apr 23.
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.
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.
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.
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.
许多使用者认为合成大麻素提供了一种安全合法的致幻方式。然而，急诊就诊人数的激增与合成大麻素的使用有关。本研究的目的是记录一个大都市地区三家大型医院在两个月内的急诊就诊情况。
这是一项回顾性病历审查，研究对象为2014年3月至4月期间到三家市中心急诊科就诊的218名患者。收集的数据包括人口统计学信息、急诊诊断和治疗信息、体征和症状、辅助检查、急诊处置情况以及医疗费用。
大多数患者（75.7%）在急诊检查后出院，但12.4%因医学治疗入院，11.5%因精神科治疗入院。10名患者（4.6%）被收入重症监护病房。最常出现的症状包括：高血压、心动过速、烦躁、嗜睡、恶心和意识模糊。聚类分析揭示了使用合成大麻素后就诊的个体的四个症状群：1）意识模糊、敌意、烦躁，2）恶心、呕吐、腹痛，3）嗜睡，4）无这些症状。
本研究有三个重要发现。第一，大量急诊资源被用于治疗因合成大麻影响而就诊的个体。第二，合成大麻不是一种良性物质。第三，虽然媒体上通常呈现的是充满敌意和烦躁的使用者，但本研究发现就诊情况存在显著的异质性。需要进一步研究以充分了解使用合成大麻素的影响。
