Evaluation of some Abuse Drugs in Patients of an Emergency Hospital

Abstract

Drugs have played a major role in defining the sub cultural and counter cultural influences in society. The pervasive availability of psychotropic chemicals can cause a direct physiological and psychological change in the body. The present work is aimed to use laboratory based analyses to determine the prevalence and use pattern of some substances of abuse among a group of acute overdosed patients. The study was conducted on patients (n=390) with acute poisoning by some drugs of abuse (Cannabis, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, opiates and ethanol).The patients were from Dakahlia governorate and surrounding governorates. They were admitted to poison unit, emergency hospital, Mansoura University in the period between November 2009 and April 2014. In this study all patients were subjected for detection of drugs of abuse in urine by EMIT system and Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) for confirmation of the obtained results. The study showed that approximately 75% of patients were encountered in the age group 20-40 years. Cannabis was the first abused drug (37.69%) followed by opioids (27.18%). Female patients were likely to abuse benzodiazepines (57.14%). The study revealed that the percentages of positive urine samples by EMIT were; (27.18%, 14.87%, 11.54% 9.74% and 1.79%), for cannabis, opiates, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and ethanol, respectively and by GC/MS were; 16.15%, 10.25%, 8.97% and 8.46% for cannabis, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and opiates, respectively. Presence of these drugs has a serious effect on man health (mental and physical functioning), consequently his environment.