Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research | 2019
Five-Year Incidence of Hospital-Based Emergencies Related to Acute Recreational Intoxication in Minors.
Abstract
BACKGROUND\nAlcohol or other drug (AOD) intoxication in minors is a public health challenge. We characterized underage patients admitted to an emergency department (ED) with acute, recreational AOD intoxication.\n\n\nMETHODS\nWe conducted a 5-year (2012 to 2016) analysis of minors admitted to the only hospital-based pediatric ED in an urban area. Episodes of AOD intoxication were selected using ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes. Sociodemographics, substance use and clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and discharge dispositions were collected through the revision of clinical charts.\n\n\nRESULTS\nA total of 266 admissions related to recreational AOD intoxication in 258 patients occurred during the study period. Among the 258 patients, 127 (49.2%) were men, median age 16\xa0years [IQR: 15 to 17\xa0years], and 234 (90.7%) of episodes were alcohol-related. At admission, 202/256 (78.9%) patients had a Glasgow Coma Scale\xa0≥\xa013 points, the median systolic and diastolic blood pressure was 109\xa0mmHg (IQR: 101 to 118\xa0mmHg) and 67\xa0mmHg (IQR: 60 to 73\xa0mmHg), respectively, and the median blood glucose level was 112\xa0mg/dl (IQR: 99 to 127\xa0mg/dl). Only 72/258 (27.9%) patients underwent urine screening (22/72 (30.5%) were positive for cannabis), and only 30/258 (11.6%) were tested for blood ethanol (median: 185\xa0mg/dl, IQR: 163 to 240\xa0mg/dl). There was a trend in admissions occurring early in the morning of weekend days, and 249 (96.5%) patients were discharged home the day of admission.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThough the severity of AOD intoxication seems to be mild to moderate, assessment of substance exposure is low and may underestimate polydrug use in underage populations.