Identifying patients with problematic drug use in the emergency department: results of a multisite study.

ABSTRACT:

Study objective

Drug-related emergency department (ED) visits have steadily increased, with substance users relying heavily on the ED for medical care. The present study aims to identify clinical correlates of problematic drug use that would facilitate identification of ED patients in need of substance use treatment.

Methods

Using previously validated tests, 15,224 adult ED patients across 6 academic institutions were prescreened for drug use as part of a large randomized prospective trial. Data for 3,240 participants who reported drug use in the past 30 days were included. Self-reported variables related to demographics, substance use, and ED visit were examined to determine their correlative value for problematic drug use.

Results

Of the 3,240 patients, 2,084 (64.3%

SUBMITTER: Macias Konstantopoulos WL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4252835 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature