Trends in Emergency Department Overdose Cases

Though drug overdose episodes represent only 0.5 % of total emergency department visits, there have been increased numbers and changes in specific agents of abuse. When treating ED patients, factors such as multi-drug abuse, age and gender of patients, and changes in purity of street drugs must be con-sidered. Medication misuse and abuse by the elderly require particular attention in light of the increasing geriatric population. Health care practitioners must also be aware of geographic trends in drug abuse and designer drug manufacture. The most frequent substances involved in human exposures are those related to accidental exposure, while the most lethal involve those ingested intentionally. HE CENTER FOR Disease Control (CDC) re-Tports that more than 8 million people are poisoned intentionally or accidentally each year.I,2 Over 600,000 attempt suicide, account-ing for 11,894 deaths and 218,500 hospitaliza-tions. ’ In addition to the social impact of emotional anguish endured by overdose pa-tients and their families, the estimated health care costs to society are enormous. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), of over 1.9 million ingestions reported to centers in 1994, 90.4 % occurred at a residence.3 Peak calls fo