Prevalence of Recreational Drug Use 11 Percent in Cardiac ICUs

FRIDAY, Aug. 18, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For patients hospitalized in intensive cardiac care units (ICCUs), the prevalence of recreational drug use is 11 percent, according to a study published online Aug. 15 in Heart.

Théo Pezel, M.D., from Université Paris Cité, and colleagues examined the prevalence of recreational drug use and its association with in-hospital major adverse events (MAEs) in patients admitted to the ICCU. All patients admitted to the ICCU in 39 French centers from April 7 to 22, 2021, underwent systematic screening for recreational drugs performed by prospective urinary testing.

The researchers found that 11 percent of 1,499 consecutive patients had a positive test for recreational drugs (cannabis, 9.1 percent; opioids, 2.1 percent; cocaine, 1.7 percent; amphetamines, 0.7 percent; 3,4-methylened ioxymethamphetamine [MDMA], 0.6 percent). Recreational drug use was declared by 57 percent of these patients. Those using recreational drugs had a higher rate of MAEs (13 versus 3 percent). After adjustment for comorbidities, recreational drugs were associated with a higher rate of in-hospital MAEs (odds ratio, 8.84). Cannabis, cocaine, and MDMA, assessed separately, were independently associated with in-hospital MAEs, after adjustment. Twenty-eight percent of positive patients had multiple drug detection, which was associated with even higher incidence of MAEs (odds ratio, 12.7).

"The detection of recreational drug use was a strong and robust independent predictor of MAE," the authors write. "Multiple recreational drugs users had the worst in-hospital prognosis, with a doubling of MAE risk, compared with single-drug users."

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