Long-term glue sniffing: report of six cases.
OBJECTIVE
Glue is cheap and readily available, and is frequently misused, especially by adolescents. Long-term effects of regular use, in terms of the psychiatric symptoms and cognitive function, have rarely been reported, however.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the psychiatric symptoms and the results of cognitive tests for six long-term glue sniffers admitted to a psychiatric ward.


RESULTS
Our results suggest that long-term abuse of these adhesive products is often associated with violent behavior and/or self-mutilation. Functional deterioration, characterized by impairment of intelligence, was noted for most of the patients, with some developing psychosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic glue sniffing may cause functional deterioration, and even psychosis. The associated violent behaviors in long-term glue sniffers also warrant caution.
Shu
Li-Ren
LR
Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Tsai
Shih-Jen
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000209:etiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D013995:Time; D013997:Time Factors; D014754:Violence