PMID- 36225464
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20221014
IS  - 2168-8184 (Print)
IS  - 2168-8184 (Electronic)
IS  - 2168-8184 (Linking)
VI  - 14
IP  - 9
DP  - 2022 Sep
TI  - Comparison of Stimulant-Related Presentations to Victorian Emergency Departments 
      Pre-pandemic and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
PG  - e28813
LID - 10.7759/cureus.28813 [doi]
LID - e28813
AB  - Introduction Victoria, Australia, holds the unenviable record for the longest 
      number of lockdown days in the world (262 days) and some of the most rigid 
      restrictions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether changes in 
      harmful drug use occurred during the pandemic by comparing stimulant-related 
      presentations to Victorian emergency departments before and during the COVID-19 
      pandemic. Methods A retrospective analysis of data from the Victorian Injury 
      Surveillance Unit was undertaken for two time periods, March 2019 to September 
      2019 and March 2020 to September 2020. Results The proportion of people 
      presenting to an ED who used methylamphetamine/methamphetamine/amphetamine 
      significantly increased from 2019 to 2020. Conversely, there was a significant 
      reduction in ED presentations among people who used 
      3,4-methylenedioxy​methamphetamine (MDMA) and ecstasy during the study period. 
      Conclusions COVID-19-related restrictions can affect mental health due to 
      depression, or anxiety, particularly if people also experience loss of employment 
      and income. In addition, mental health issues may affect substance use, including 
      increased frequency of use and dose. This has implications for policy and 
      planning during a pandemic and may be overlooked as the focus is on planning and 
      resources for patients with COVID-19.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2022, Redona et al.
FAU - Redona, Peter T Jr
AU  - Redona PT Jr
AD  - Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New England, Armidale, AUS.
FAU - Woods, Cindy
AU  - Woods C
AD  - Substance Use and Addiction, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, 
      Canberra, AUS.
FAU - Jackson, Debra
AU  - Jackson D
AD  - Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, AUS.
FAU - Hayman, Jane
AU  - Hayman J
AD  - Epidemiology and Public Health, Accident Research Centre, Monash University, 
      Clayton, AUS.
FAU - Usher, Kim
AU  - Usher K
AD  - Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of New England, Armidale, AUS.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20220905
PL  - United States
TA  - Cureus
JT  - Cureus
JID - 101596737
PMC - PMC9534731
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - amphetamine
OT  - cocaine
OT  - emergency departments
OT  - methamphetamine
OT  - pandemic
COIS- The authors have declared financial relationships, which are detailed in the next 
      section.
EDAT- 2022/10/14 06:00
MHDA- 2022/10/14 06:01
PMCR- 2022/09/05
CRDT- 2022/10/13 02:31
PHST- 2022/09/05 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2022/10/13 02:31 [entrez]
PHST- 2022/10/14 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2022/10/14 06:01 [medline]
PHST- 2022/09/05 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.7759/cureus.28813 [doi]
PST - epublish
SO  - Cureus. 2022 Sep 5;14(9):e28813. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28813. eCollection 2022 Sep.