Morbidity associated with MDMA (ecstasy) abuse: A survey of emergency department admissions

Methods: We conducted a prospective, representative-sample nationwide study on morbidity related to 3,4, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’) as determined from admissions to 5 geographically rep-resentative emergency departments (EDs) and from data from the poison information center (PIC). MDMA-related ED admissions were analyzed over a 7-month period and the records of all PIC calls were reviewed. Results: There were 52 (age 15–44 years, 32 males) ecstasy-related ED admissions during the study period. Most (68%) admissions presented to the ED at night, 52 % on weekends and 44 % consumed the drug at clubs and parties. Forty-six percent of the patients took between 1/2 to 3 tablets and 29 patients (56%) had taken ecstasy before. Twenty-two subjects (42%) reported poly-drug use. Fifteen subjects (29%) required hospitali-zation, six of them (11%) to the intensive care unit. The most common manifestations were restlessness, agita-tion, disorientation, shaking, high blood pressure, headache and loss of consciousness. More serious complications were hyperthermia, hyponatremia, rhabdomyolysis, brain edema and coma. Conclusion: The image of ecstasy as a safe party drug is spurious. The results of this study confirm that the drug bears real dan-ger of physical harm and of behavioral, psychological and psychiatric disturbances