The Authors’ Own Words: The Care of Patients Using Methamphetamine in the Emergency Department: Perception of Nurses, Residents, and Faculty

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

The Care of Patients Using Methamphetamine in the Emergency Department: Perception of Nurses, Residents, and Faculty

John R. Richards, MD; J. Adam Hawkins, DO; Eric W. Acevedo, RN; Erik G. Laurin, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 1, 2019

“Methamphetamine use has been associated with serious medical problems such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke, and psychiatric issues such as acute psychosis, paranoia, and violent behavior. In this study, the medical personnel caring for these patients in the emergency department were surveyed and compared regarding their perception of the methamphetamine problem, resource utilization by these patients, and treatment preferences. The results confirm methamphetamine-using patients were frequently encountered, required high levels of care, and were often implicated in violence directed toward nurses and physicians. This study provides further evidence of the burden of methamphetamine use on society, emergency medical services, hospital resources, and the difficulties in caring for these patients due to the potential for unpredictable behavior.“