Characteristics of psychiatric care of drug users admitted in the general hospital: period 1991-2001

Abstract

Main changes in the psychiatric attention of drug abusers admitted in a general teaching hospital between 1991 and 2001 are described. During this period a total of 14.693 cases have been attended in the emergency room, 5.083 cases in the hospitalisation and 1.548 cases were admitted in the detoxification unit. More relevant changes were related to changes in the trends and patterns of drug abuse (progressive decrease of heroine use, increase of cocaine as a main drug of abuse; decrease of the intravenous route) and new treatment approaches (wide expansion of methadone maintenance treatment and new highly active antiretroviral therapies for HIV Psiquiatría de enlace en toxicomanías Características de la atención psiquiátrica al drogodependiente en el hospital general: período 1991-2001 Institut de Atenció Psiquiàtrica, Salut Mental i Toxicomanies (IAPs) Hospital del Mar Barcelona infection). Finally some considerations about the implications that these changes will have in the future attention of drug abusers in Spain are reported.