• Matthew Tanti, Jeremy Cosgrove, Charles Kelleher, Rebekah Jones, and Melissa Maguire.
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK m.tanti@nhs.net.
• Clin Med (Lond). 2021 May 1; 21 (3): 189194189-194.

BackgroundNovel psychoactive substances (NPS) are a growing public health concern. We aimed to identify the acute neurological consequences of NPS.MethodWe performed a retrospective case-note review of patients who presented to the emergency department after taking NPS.ResultsWe identified 237 admissions from 190 patients, mostly young men. There were high rates of psychiatric comorbidity (43%), unemployment (39%), homelessness (24%) and incarceration (17%). Most reported use of synthetic cannabinoids (SC; 91%). Some took synthetic cathinones (SCath; 7%) or nitrous oxide (NOS; 2%). SC caused impaired consciousness (61%) and seizures (16%). SCath users presented with psychiatric disturbance or seizures (55%). Most patients were managed conservatively (67%) and a small proportion (14%) were referred to drug or psychology services.ConclusionsNPS users represent a vulnerable group in society. Certain clinical features may suggest the type of NPS used. Most patients require supportive management and onward referral to drug addiction services is recommended.© Royal College of Physicians 2021. All rights reserved.

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