Citation

Pavarin R, Lugoboni F, Mathewson S, Ferrari AM, Guizzardi G, Quaglio G. Eur. J. Emerg. Med. 2011; 18(4): 208-214.

Affiliation

aEpidemiological Monitoring Center on Addiction, DSM-DP bDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Ospedale Maggiore C.A. Pizzardi, Ausl Bologna cDepartment of Internal Medicine, Medical Service for Addictive Disorders, University of Verona dDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Ausl Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MEJ.0b013e3283440f25

PMID

21285880

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the spectrum of medical and trauma complications associated with self-reported cocaine use. METHODS: Patient databases of 23 emergency departments were searched for consultations related to cocaine use between January 2007 and December 2008. RESULTS: The population included 569 men (84.4%) and 105 women (15.6%): 505 (74.9%) patients were nondependent cocaine users and 169 (25.1%) were dependent cocaine users. The majority of patients (63.8%) used other drugs in combination with cocaine. Psychiatric symptoms were most frequently reported (60.9%), followed by cardiopulmonary (38.2%), gastrointestinal (22.5%), neurological (20.8%) and constitutional (17.2%) symptoms. Of psychiatric complaints, anxiety was the most common (31.5%). Sex-adjusted and age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) showed that palpitations were associated within 12 h of cocaine use [OR 2.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-3.76], and psychotic symptoms (OR 3.05; 95% CI: 1.02-9.18) and hallucinations (OR 7.50; 95% CI: 1.12-50.31) were associated within more than 12 h of the use of cocaine. In a comparison of dependent and nondependent cocaine users, after adjusting for age and sex, cardiopulmonary symptoms (OR 1.56; 95% CI: 1.08-2.24) and paranoia (OR 2.14; 95% CI: 1.08-4.24) were associated with nondependent use of cocaine, and lethargy (OR 7.14; 95% CI: 1.55-35.56) was associated with dependent use of cocaine. The primary cause of trauma was unintentional injuries (32.4%). Sex-adjusted and age-adjusted OR showed a major risk for unintentional injuries with nondependent use of cocaine (OR 6.17; 95% CI: 1.38-42.29). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that cocaine users experience diverse symptoms and may present with a wide range of physical findings.

Language: en