McLaughlin, AM and Hardt, J and McKay, AP and Fitzpatrick, GJ and Donnelly, MB (2008) Alcohol, drug misuse and suicide attempts: unrecognised causes of out of hospital cardiac arrests admitted to intensive care units. Irish Journal of Medical Science, 178, (1), pp. 29-33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-008-0242-z.
AIM: To assess the contribution of alcohol, drug abuse and suicide attempts to out of hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) who are admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU).
METHODS: Retrospective review of all OHCA admitted to the ICU over a 2-year period.
RESULTS: There were 26 OHCA. Six patients survived, all of whom had a cardiac aetiology for their arrest. Ten patients arrested due to external factors (drug misuse n = 4, alcohol excess n = 1, suicide attempts n = 4 and accidental choking n = 1). All of the patients who arrested secondary to external factors were young (37.2 +/- 13.58 years), 90% were male and all died in hospital. All of the cases of drug misuse involved cocaine.
CONCLUSION: Alcohol, drug misuse and suicide attempts contribute significantly to the number of OHCA which are admitted to ICU. Moreover, cocaine usage has contributed to a number of OHCA in our study.
B Substances > Substances in general
F Concepts in psychology > Behaviour > Self-destructive behaviour / self-harm > Suicidal behaviour / suicide
G Health and disease > State of health > Physical health
G Health and disease > Cardiovascular / heart disease
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health care programme, service or facility > Hospital
P Demography, epidemiology, and history > Population dynamics > Substance related mortality / death
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
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