Hashim Ahmed, Mohammed Nouran A, Othman AlFadl, Gab-Allah Mohab A K, Al-Kahodary Ahmed H M, Gaber Eslam R, Hassan Ahmed M, Aranda Mahmoud, Hussien Rania, Mokhtar Amany, Islam Md Saiful, Lee Ka Yiu, Asghar Muhammad Sohaib, Tahir Muhammad Junaid, Yousaf Zohaib
Department of Community, Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Department of Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Heliyon. 2022 Aug 12;8(8):e10084. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10084. eCollection 2022 Aug.
Novel psychoactive substances (NPSs) are relatively new substances in the illicit drug market, not previously listed in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC). Strox and Voodoo are considered some of the most popular blends of NPS in the Egyptian drug market.
The current study was conducted to assess NPS's use pattern: Voodoo and Strox among acutely intoxicated patients presented to the poison control center of Ain Shams University Hospitals (PCC- ASUH).
A single center based cross-sectional study was carried out in the PCC-ASUH among acutely intoxicated patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) over four months (from January-April 2019. using a previously adopted and validated Fahmy and El-Sherbini socioeconomic scale (SES). Data were presented as mean, median and range as appropriate. Both smoking and crowding indexes were calculated and presented as previously reported.
Fifty-one patients were presented to the ED of PCC-ASUH during the study period. A total of 96.1% (n = 49) were males. The mean age was 25 ± 7.5 years. The most common NPS used was Strox: 54.9% (n = 28), followed by Voodoo: 27.4% (n = 14). Neurological and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were the most frequent presentations. The most common motive behind NPS use was the desire to give a trial of new psychoactive substances. The mean SES score was 35.1 ± 13.17. Most patients have the preparatory as the highest education 36.0% (n = 18).
NPS use is common among young males in preparatory education from different social classes, starting it most commonly as a means to experiencing a new high. Neurological and GI manifestations are the most common presenting symptoms of NPS intoxication.
新型精神活性物质（NPS）是非法毒品市场中的相对新物质，以前未列入联合国毒品和犯罪问题办公室（UNDOC）的清单。Strox和巫毒（Voodoo）被认为是埃及毒品市场中最受欢迎的一些新型精神活性物质混合物。
本研究旨在评估新型精神活性物质的使用模式：在艾因夏姆斯大学医院中毒控制中心（PCC - ASUH）就诊的急性中毒患者中，巫毒和Strox的使用情况。
在PCC - ASUH进行了一项基于单中心的横断面研究，研究对象为在四个月内（2019年1月至4月）到急诊科（ED）就诊的急性中毒患者，使用先前采用并验证的法赫米和埃尔 - 谢尔比尼社会经济量表（SES）。数据以均值、中位数和适当的范围表示。计算吸烟和拥挤指数，并按先前报道的方式呈现。
在研究期间，51名患者到PCC - ASUH的急诊科就诊。共有96.1%（n = 49）为男性。平均年龄为25±7.5岁。最常用的新型精神活性物质是Strox：54.9%（n = 28），其次是巫毒：27.4%（n = 14）。神经和胃肠道（GI）症状是最常见的表现。使用新型精神活性物质背后最常见的动机是尝试新的精神活性物质的愿望。平均SES评分为35.1±13.17。大多数患者的最高学历为预科，占36.0%（n = 18）。
新型精神活性物质的使用在来自不同社会阶层的预科教育年轻男性中很常见，最常见的开始方式是体验新的兴奋感。神经和胃肠道表现是新型精神活性物质中毒最常见的症状。
