[Ten years of emergency attendances for cocaine-users in Spain]

Med Clin (Barc). 2014 Oct 7;143(7):322-6. doi: 10.1016/j.medcli.2013.11.023. Epub 2014 Jan 21.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Cocaine is the second most consumed illegal drug in the western world, following cannabis. Since 1998, it is also the drug that more attendances generate in different emergency devices, and it is responsible for more of 60% of the emergencies directly related to drug consumption. This work reviews the main Spanish scientific articles published in the last 10 years, in which different factors related to the use of this drug have been analyzed in relation to the use of emergency by cocaine users. A total of 8,795 patients were included (interval 57-1,755), with an average age of 32.64 years (SD 3.02), and an average percentage of positives to cocaine of 54.78% (SD 47.03); there were 7 works with 100% of subjects being positive to cocaine. Males predominated with an average of 78.69% (SD 12). They presented cardiovascular symptoms in 30% cases (SD 22.7), neurological symptoms in 11.6% cases (SD 4.28) and psychiatric symptoms in 49.32% cases (SD 23.87). There was a multiple consumption in 49.02% of patients (interval 4.3-76.2), fundamentally associated with alcohol (57.78%, SD 6.18) and cannabis (21.56%, SD 10.72). Two hundred and forty-six patients (2.8%) needed admission and 8 died (0.09%).

Keywords: Cocaine; Cocaína; Drogas de abuso; Drugs of abuse; Emergencies; Urgencias.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / complications
  • Cocaine-Related Disorders / therapy*
  • Emergency Medical Services / statistics & numerical data*
  • Female
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Spain