Methamphetamine Accounts for More ED Visits than Any Other Drug, Survey Finds

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

Methamphetamine Accounts for More ED Visits than Any Other Drug, Survey Finds

Source: California Healthline (http://www.californiahealthline.org) 
Date: January 18, 2006

 
Forty-seven percent of hospitals run or funded by counties said methamphetamine
was the leading illicit drug involved in emergency department visits, according
to a survey conducted by the National Association of Counties, USA Today
reports.

Of hospitals surveyed, 16% said marijuana was the illicit drug most responsible
for ED visits, while 15% cited cocaine. NACO surveyed 200 hospitals operated or
funded by counties in 39 states and Washington, D.C. (Leinwand, USA Today,
1/18). The survey was conducted late last year.

Seventy-three percent of hospitals said the number of meth-related ED visits
had increased during the last five years. Sixty-eight percent reported an
increase in the last three years, and 45% said the number of cases had
increased during the last year. Fourteen percent of hospitals said meth cases
accounted for 20% of their ED patients.

In the Midwest, 70% of hospitals said meth accounted for 10% of their overall
ED patients. Fifty-six percent of hospitals nationwide said their costs had
risen because of meth.

Many meth-related ED visits are for burns experienced while making the drug or
for children exposed to the source chemicals. In addition, users can develop
rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure and fevers of up to 105 degrees. Meth
users also arrive at the ED with injuries sustained during fights (Zernike, New
York Times, 1/18).

A separate NACO study of 200 state and county treatment program directors in 35
states and Washington, D.C., found that 69% reported an increased number of
meth users seeking treatment (USA Today, 1/18).

NACO said it wanted more federal money to fund hospitals that treat the
uninsured, treatment programs, programs for affected children and continued law
enforcement grants (New York Times, 1/18).

Tom Riley, spokesperson for the White House drug czar, said “We are tailoring programs to
be responsive to local needs," adding, "[w]e think we're meeting with some success with
this approach" (USA Today, 1/18).

For more information, please visit: 

http://www.californiahealthline.org/index.cfm?Action=dspItem&itemID=118162 

http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Publications&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=18838




Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts 
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service
University of California, Irvine

The CAL/AAEM Archives are available at: http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/calaaem/


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com