Poisonings by substances of abuse at the Oslo Accident and Emergency Outpatient Clinic 2014-18.

BACKGROUND: Poisonings by substances of abuse are potentially dangerous and indicate risky substance use behaviour. To be prepared to handle patients with poisonings by substances of abuse, we need updated knowledge about the kinds of substances we can be expected to encounter. Most substance use-related poisonings in Oslo are treated at the OAEOC, and we describe the poisonings observed there in the period 2014-2018.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: We included all patients treated for poisoning by substances of abuse at the OAEOC in the years 2014-18, with the exception of lone ethanol poisonings. For 2018, these were also included. The patients were identified retrospectively by a review of the patient registration lists in the clinic's electronic records system. The diagnosis of the substances involved was based on the clinical assessment made by the doctor responsible for treatment.

RESULTS: In the period 2014-18, altogether 8 116 cases of poisoning by a substance of abuse were treated at OAEOC, lone ethanol poisonings not included. The most frequently occurring intoxicants were heroin (3 237 cases), benzodiazepines (2 196), amphetamine/methamphetamine (1 827), cannabis (1 081), gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) (904), cocaine (569) and unspecified opioids (546). There was an increasing trend in number of cases per year for central stimulants, cannabis and GHB, and a decreasing one for benzodiazepines. The number of heroin poisonings fell until 2017, but rose again in 2018. In 2018 there were 4 021 poisonings by substances of abuse, of which 2 022 were lone ethanol poisonings.

INTERPRETATION: The number of poisonings increased for most substances in 2014-18, but fell for heroin and benzodiazepines.