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Teenage toxins: Recreational poisoning in the adolescent
Author(s) -
Gunja Naren
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2011.02082.x
Subject(s) - medicine , recreation , recreational drug , poison control , injury prevention , medical emergency , drug , recreational drug use , suicide prevention , club , human factors and ergonomics , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , political science , law , anatomy
Abstract Adolescents are experimenting with recreational drugs on a regular basis, particularly at social gatherings such as parties, raves and mass events. A combination of reduced fluid intake, physical activity and drug‐induced hyperthermia leads to complications such as heat stroke, delirium and potentially death. The clinician needs to be aware of the variety of pharmacologically active substances available in the recreational marketplace in order to diagnose and manage these patients. Recreational misadventure, because of incorrect dosage or mixing multiple substances, is a common reason for teenagers presenting to hospital with toxidromes. Death from club drug overdose is more likely to be associated with suicidal intent, related risky behaviour and trauma, as well as the inherent toxicity of the drug itself. Although many teenagers are concerned about ‘drink spiking’ with club drugs, the most common agent causing drink spiking incidents is ethanol.