title: Management of substance misusers on the general hospital ward.
abstract: Since a high prevalence of physical morbidity is associated with substance misuse, drug misusers are frequently admitted to general hospitals. Medical staff often perceive drug misusers as a particularly difficult patient group, feeling that they lack the knowledge and skill to deal with them adequately without specialist support. We review the common physical complications of substance misuse likely to be encountered in a general hospital, and provide comprehensive guidelines for the assessment and management of drug dependence in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry of Addictive Behaviour, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Ghodse
mesh_terms: D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*