Home > Cocaine-related admissions to an intensive care unit: a five-year study of incidence and outcomes.

Galvin, S and Campbell, M and Marsh, B and O'Brien, B (2010) Cocaine-related admissions to an intensive care unit: a five-year study of incidence and outcomes. Anaesthesia, 65, (2), pp. 163-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2009.06189.x.

Cocaine misuse is increasing and it is evidently considered a relatively safe drug of abuse in Ireland. To address this perception, we reviewed the database of an 18-bed Dublin intensive care unit, covering all admissions from 2003 to 2007. We identified cocaine-related cases, measuring hospital mortality and long-term survival in early 2009. Cocaine-related admissions increased from around one annually in 2003-05 to 10 in 2007. Their median (IQR [range]) age was 25 (21-35 [17-47]) years and 78% were male. The median (IQR [range]) APACHE II score was 16 (11-27 [5-36]) and length of intensive care stay was 5 (3-9 [1-16]) days.

Ten patients died during their hospital stay. A further five had died by the time of follow-up, a median of 24 months later. One was untraceable. Cocaine toxicity necessitating intensive care is increasingly common in Dublin. Hospital mortality in this series was 52%. These findings may help to inform public attitudes to cocaine.


Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, Open Access, Article
Drug Type
Cocaine
Date
February 2010
Identification #
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2044.2009.06189.x
Page Range
pp. 163-6
Volume
65
Number
2
EndNote
Accession Number
HRB (Not in collection)
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