Monahan Caitriona, Coleman Mathew
Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Consultant Psychiatrist, Great Southern Mental Health Service, Albany, WA, and; Senior Clinical Lecturer, The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
Australas Psychiatry. 2018 Aug;26(4):417-421. doi: 10.1177/1039856218762307. Epub 2018 Mar 13.
Despite research showing higher use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) in rural areas, limited research has examined the epidemiology of ATS-related presentations and admissions to remote regional centres. To determine the epidemiology of ATS-related (a) Emergency Department (ED) presentations and (b) inpatient admissions over a five-year period at the Hedland Health Campus (HHC) in remote Western Australia.
A retrospective review of medical records was conducted. Demographic data including gender, age and indigenous status were captured.
Four hundred and eighty-two ATS-related hospital presentations were identified during the study period. The most common reason for ED presentation was mental and behavioural problems. Of those presenting, 66% were male and 69% identified as Aboriginal. ATS-related ED presentations increased seven-fold over the study period. Ninety-nine ATS-related inpatient admissions were identified during the study period. Psychotic disorder was the most common reason for admission. Males made up 75% of admissions and 53% identified as Aboriginal.
This study showed a disproportionally high burden of ATS-related harm among Aboriginal people. The number of ATS-related ED presentations and inpatient admissions increased significantly over the study period.
尽管有研究表明农村地区苯丙胺类兴奋剂（ATS）的使用更为普遍，但针对偏远地区中心与ATS相关的就诊情况和住院情况的流行病学研究却很有限。本研究旨在确定西澳大利亚偏远地区黑德兰健康园区（HHC）在五年期间内与ATS相关的（a）急诊科就诊情况和（b）住院情况的流行病学特征。
对病历进行回顾性研究。收集了包括性别、年龄和原住民身份在内的人口统计学数据。
在研究期间共确定了482例与ATS相关的医院就诊病例。急诊科就诊的最常见原因是精神和行为问题。在就诊者中，66%为男性，69%为原住民。在研究期间，与ATS相关的急诊科就诊病例增加了7倍。在研究期间共确定了99例与ATS相关的住院病例。精神障碍是最常见的住院原因。男性占住院病例的75%，53%为原住民。
本研究表明，原住民中与ATS相关的伤害负担过高。在研究期间，与ATS相关的急诊科就诊病例和住院病例数量显著增加。
