RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 ‘Designer drugs’: update on the management of novel psychoactive substance misuse in the acute care setting
JF Clinical Medicine
JO Clin Med
FD Royal College of Physicians
SP 409
OP 415
DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.14-4-409
VO 14
IS 4
A1 Christopher D Smith
A1 Stefanie Robert
YR 2014
UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/14/4/409.abstract
AB The use of novel psychoactive substances (‘legal highs’ or ‘designer drugs’) is increasing worldwide. Patients misusing such substances have been reported to experience severe or prolonged side effects requiring admission to acute or critical care wards. These complications can be life threatening if misdiagnosed or mismanaged. As physicians have traditionally had less involvement with the management of such patients compared with their colleagues in emergency departments an update in the management of such patients is indicated. Here we present a summary of the management of those novel substances with the potential for serious complications based on a review of current literature.