title: Legal Highs, Lethal Lows.
abstract: Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), sometimes referred to as Legal Highs, are newly available drugs with psychoactive properties that are not currently prohibited by United Nations Drug Conventions. Despite many of these compounds still being 'legal' and readily available via online mail-order companies and high-street 'headshops', their rapid emergence in the UK has been associated with increasing hospital admissions, enquiries on TOXBASE® and fatalities. It is therefore vital that Acute Physicians have a good understanding of the issues in recognizing, investigating and managing patients presenting to the AMU with toxicity due to legal highs. This article outlines the classification and effects of various novel psychoactive substances and presents a strategy for management according to the prevailing toxidrome.
authors.affiliation: ST3 in Acute Medicine.
authors.forename: Bhavini
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: Consultant and Clinical Lead for Acute Medicine, AMU (Ward 20), Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heaps