Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Substance use disorders (SUDs) present a challenge in the emergency department (ED) setting. This article provides an overview of SUDs, their clinical assessment, legal considerations in drug testing, diagnosis, and treatment approaches. SUDs are prevalent and coexist with mental health disorders, necessitating comprehensive evaluation and management. ⋯ Diagnosis relies on a thorough evaluation of substance abuse patterns and associated medical conditions. Treatment approaches encompass a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating counseling, medications, and social support. Effective management of SUDs in the ED requires a comprehensive understanding of these complex disorders.
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Hyperactive delirium with severe agitation is a clinical syndrome of altered mental status, psychomotor agitation, and a hyperadrenergic state. The underlying pathophysiology is variable and often results from sympathomimetic abuse, psychiatric disease, sedative-hypnotic withdrawal, and metabolic derangement. ⋯ Safety of the patient and of the medical providers is paramount and the emergency department should be prepared to manage these patients with adequate staffing, restraints, and pharmacologic sedatives. Treatment with benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, or ketamine is recommended, followed by airway protection, supportive measures, and cooling of hyperthermia.
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Physiologic and psychological effects of substance use are common occurrences. They may be the proximate purpose of the exposure or related to an unintended complication. ⋯ These effects are mediated by different receptors they act on and the homeostatic changes that occur due to repeat exposure. We review in this article the physiologic and psychological effects from exposure to commonly encountered drugs, ethanol, sedative hypnotics, cocaine, amphetamines, marijuana, opioids, nicotine, hydrocarbons (halogenated and non-halogenated), and nitrous oxide.