Rare but relevant series

Abstract

All drugs have the potential to cause harm, and the nature of such harm will vary across drug classes. Some harms, however, are unique to specific drugs. While these may be rare, they can be of major clinical significance when they do occur. An example of such a harm is “ketamine bladder”, a rare ulcerative cystitis directly engendered by ketamine use, that may be of such severity as to require surgery. Many of these conditions are not well known, either to clinicians or the people who use such drugs.

To raise awareness of these drug-specific conditions, we are commencing a series of articles: Rare but relevant. These will be brief (up to 2000 words) clinical descriptions of the condition in question and its relationship to a specific drug. Each paper will address issues such as the nature of the problem and clinical presentation, its frequency, the pathological mechanisms causing the condition, and its prognosis and treatment. It is our hope that the series will raise awareness of rare conditions that clinicians may encounter, ones that may have significant impact upon those experiencing these conditions.

We will be inviting submissions from expert researchers and are pleased to introduce the first article on cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome by Stjepanović et al. [1]