title: Hospitalization for caffeine abuse is associated with abuse of other pharmaceutical products.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics and outcomes of patients seeking treatment for abuse of supplemental caffeine.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 3-year analysis conducted of all consecutive cases involving caffeine abuse in patients 10 years and older reported to a regional poison center. Excluded were suicide attempts, therapeutic errors, and cases involving only a coffee or tea product.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred fifty-four cases met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 20.5 years, 50% were women. Caffeine was in the form of a nondietary medication in 201 cases, a dietary supplement in 35 cases, and a caffeine-enhanced beverage in 35 cases. Caffeine was abused alone in 174 (68%), with alcohol in 7, illegal drugs in 6 cases, and with other pharmaceutical products in 81 (29%) cases. Thirty-four patients (13% of total) were hospitalized for medical complications from caffeine. Only concomitant abuse of other pharmaceutical products was associated with hospitalization (odds ratio, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.8-8.8; P = .0004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this cohort, supplemental caffeine was abused primarily by young adults. Concomitant recreational abuse of other pharmaceuticals was associated with hospitalization and warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. d-mccarthy2@md.northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Mark B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Mycyk
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: DesLauriers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002110:Caffeine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine