Street drug abuse leading to critical illness.
Critical care physicians are frequently confronted with intoxicated patients who have used street drugs. In the last decade there has been an upward trend in the use of these substances, particularly amongst adolescents and young adults in large urban areas. In excess quantities all street drugs can lead to critical illness. Early and appropriate medical attention by emergency medicine physicians and intensivists can improve outcomes. In this review article we intend to familiarize critical care physicians with the most common street drugs such as amphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine, gamma hydroxybutyrate, opioids, and phencyclidine.
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Cook County Hospital and Rush Medical Center, 1901 West Harrison Street, Suite 2818 B, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Babak_Mokhlesi@rush.edu
Babak
B
Mokhlesi
Prasad S
PS
Garimella
Aaron
A
Joffe
Valerie
V
Velho
D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000506:poisoning*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology
D013287:Illicit Drugs