GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study
Abstract Background GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate) and its precursors are popular recreational drugs due to their sedative, anxiolytic and sexually stimulating effects. Their use has been steadily increasing in recent years. The detoxification process is complex and prone to high rates of complications...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-023-00414-w |
| _version_ | 1797451880115208192 |
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| author | Peter Neu Heidi Danker-Hopfe Robert Fisher Felicitas Ehlen |
| author_facet | Peter Neu Heidi Danker-Hopfe Robert Fisher Felicitas Ehlen |
| author_sort | Peter Neu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate) and its precursors are popular recreational drugs due to their sedative, anxiolytic and sexually stimulating effects. Their use has been steadily increasing in recent years. The detoxification process is complex and prone to high rates of complications while little is known about the pathophysiology. This study aims to elucidate the characteristics of GHB-addicted patients and to evaluate the risks and complications of GHB withdrawal treatment. Methods This observational study describes prospectively the socioeconomic status, clinical history and course of inpatient detoxification treatment of a group of 39 patients suffering from GHB substance use disorder. Detoxification treatment took place in a highly specialized psychiatric inpatient unit for substance use disorders. Results GHB patients were characterised by being young, well-educated and by living alone. More than 50% of the patients had no regular income. The patients were male and female in equal numbers. Detoxification treatment was complicated, with high rates of delirium (30.8%) and high need for intensive care (20.5%). Conclusions In our sample, GHB users were young, well-educated people and male and female in equal number. Detoxification proved to be dangerous for GHB-addicted patients. The presence of delirium and the need for transfer to an intensive care unit during detoxification treatment was extraordinarily high, even with appropriate clinical treatment. The reasons for this remain unknown. Therefore an intensive care unit should be available for GHB detoxification treatment. Further studies are needed to evaluate the options for prophylactic treatment of delirium during detoxification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:00:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2bd33ce312f749a9ad920b52a5193fcd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1940-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:00:31Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Addiction Science & Clinical Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-2bd33ce312f749a9ad920b52a5193fcd2023-11-26T13:55:59ZengBMCAddiction Science & Clinical Practice1940-06402023-10-011811810.1186/s13722-023-00414-wGHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical studyPeter Neu0Heidi Danker-Hopfe1Robert Fisher2Felicitas Ehlen3Jüdisches Krankenhaus Berlin—Clinic for Psychiatry and PsychotherapyCompetence Center for Sleep Medicine, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin FranklinStepney and Wapping CMHT, Queen Mary University, Wolfson Institute for Preventive MedicineJüdisches Krankenhaus Berlin—Clinic for Psychiatry and PsychotherapyAbstract Background GHB (gammahydroxybutyrate) and its precursors are popular recreational drugs due to their sedative, anxiolytic and sexually stimulating effects. Their use has been steadily increasing in recent years. The detoxification process is complex and prone to high rates of complications while little is known about the pathophysiology. This study aims to elucidate the characteristics of GHB-addicted patients and to evaluate the risks and complications of GHB withdrawal treatment. Methods This observational study describes prospectively the socioeconomic status, clinical history and course of inpatient detoxification treatment of a group of 39 patients suffering from GHB substance use disorder. Detoxification treatment took place in a highly specialized psychiatric inpatient unit for substance use disorders. Results GHB patients were characterised by being young, well-educated and by living alone. More than 50% of the patients had no regular income. The patients were male and female in equal numbers. Detoxification treatment was complicated, with high rates of delirium (30.8%) and high need for intensive care (20.5%). Conclusions In our sample, GHB users were young, well-educated people and male and female in equal number. Detoxification proved to be dangerous for GHB-addicted patients. The presence of delirium and the need for transfer to an intensive care unit during detoxification treatment was extraordinarily high, even with appropriate clinical treatment. The reasons for this remain unknown. Therefore an intensive care unit should be available for GHB detoxification treatment. Further studies are needed to evaluate the options for prophylactic treatment of delirium during detoxification.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-023-00414-wGHBDetoxificationDeliriumIntensive care unit |
| spellingShingle | Peter Neu Heidi Danker-Hopfe Robert Fisher Felicitas Ehlen GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study Addiction Science & Clinical Practice GHB Detoxification Delirium Intensive care unit |
| title | GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study |
| title_full | GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study |
| title_fullStr | GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study |
| title_full_unstemmed | GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study |
| title_short | GHB: a life-threatening drug complications and outcome of GHB detoxification treatment—an observational clinical study |
| title_sort | ghb a life threatening drug complications and outcome of ghb detoxification treatment an observational clinical study |
| topic | GHB Detoxification Delirium Intensive care unit |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13722-023-00414-w |
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