Evaluation of the Frequency of Stimulant and Opioid Abuse in the Poisoned Cases Referred To Hospitals in Ardabil, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Poisoning with acute opioids and stimulant is the most common causes of emergency visits, and its early detection and treatment is of utmost importance. The present study aimed to evaluate the frequency of opioid and stimulant use in poisoned cases. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 255 cases with acute opioids and stimulant poisoning. Results: Out of all patients, 7(2.7%) patients died due to severe complications. Moreover, 72.2% of patients were male, and the majority of cases (86.87%) were urban residents. The leading cause of poisoning was suicide (65.1%), and 34.9% of patients had accidental poisoning. The mean age of patients was 36.26 years. Tramadol, methadone, and opium with 29.4%, 23.9%, and 23.5% were the most used opioids for poisoning, respectively. Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, tramadol poisoning is the most common poisoning in patients referring to hospital emergence. Nevertheless, tramadol use and availability need to be prevented and controlled; moreover, the awareness of health system providers should be raised about the care of these patients.