PMID- 20488845
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20110705
LR  - 20191210
IS  - 1477-0903 (Electronic)
IS  - 0960-3271 (Linking)
VI  - 30
IP  - 4
DP  - 2011 Apr
TI  - Morbidity associated with MDMA (ecstasy) abuse: a survey of emergency department 
      admissions.
PG  - 259-66
LID - 10.1177/0960327110370984 [doi]
AB  - METHODS: We conducted a prospective, representative-sample nationwide study on 
      morbidity related to 3,4, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy') as 
      determined from admissions to 5 geographically representative emergency 
      departments (EDs) and from data from the poison information center (PIC). 
      MDMArelated ED admissions were analyzed over a 7-month period and the records of 
      all PIC calls were reviewed. RESULTS: There were 52 (age 15-44 years, 32 males) 
      ecstasy-related ED admissions during the study period. Most (68%) admissions 
      presented to the ED at night, 52% on weekends and 44% consumed the drug at clubs 
      and parties. Forty-six percent of the patients took between 1/2 to 3 tablets and 
      29 patients (56%) had taken ecstasy before. Twenty-two subjects (42%) reported 
      poly-drug use. Fifteen subjects (29%) required hospitalization, six of them (11%) 
      to the intensive care unit. The most common manifestations were restlessness, 
      agitation, disorientation, shaking, high blood pressure, headache and loss of 
      consciousness. More serious complications were hyperthermia, hyponatremia, 
      rhabdomyolysis, brain edema and coma. CONCLUSION: The image of ecstasy as a safe 
      party drug is spurious. The results of this study confirm that the drug bears 
      real danger of physical harm and of behavioral, psychological and psychiatric 
      disturbances.
FAU - Halpern, Pinchas
AU  - Halpern P
AD  - Department of Emergency Medicine, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler 
      Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. 
      dr_halperin@tasmc.health.gov.il
FAU - Moskovich, Jenny
AU  - Moskovich J
FAU - Avrahami, Beni
AU  - Avrahami B
FAU - Bentur, Yedidia
AU  - Bentur Y
FAU - Soffer, Dror
AU  - Soffer D
FAU - Peleg, Kobi
AU  - Peleg K
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20100520
PL  - England
TA  - Hum Exp Toxicol
JT  - Human & experimental toxicology
JID - 9004560
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - 0 (Illicit Drugs)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Adult
MH  - Emergency Service, Hospital/*statistics & numerical data
MH  - Female
MH  - Hallucinogens/*poisoning
MH  - Humans
MH  - Illicit Drugs/*poisoning
MH  - Israel/epidemiology
MH  - Male
MH  - Morbidity
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/*poisoning
MH  - Prospective Studies
MH  - Substance-Related Disorders/*epidemiology/physiopathology
MH  - Young Adult
EDAT- 2010/05/22 06:00
MHDA- 2011/07/06 06:00
CRDT- 2010/05/22 06:00
PHST- 2010/05/22 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2010/05/22 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2011/07/06 06:00 [medline]
AID - 0960327110370984 [pii]
AID - 10.1177/0960327110370984 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Hum Exp Toxicol. 2011 Apr;30(4):259-66. doi: 10.1177/0960327110370984. Epub 2010 
      May 20.