Valoración del enfermo drogodependiente en los Servicios de Urgencias

In Emergency services the attention of drug addict patients is usual, due to processes of administration or the use, abuse and abandonment of drugs. Cases of overdose by opiates, alcohol, benzodiazepines and/or cocaine are the most frequent. On the first three as a coma and, on those caused by cocaine, the most usual is chest pain and physic irregularities. In practice there are few effective antidotes, those being for opiates (naloxone) and benzodiazepines (flumazenil). For the other cases we have to stick to the general measures for the treatment of any intoxication and, most of all, try to avoid the possible complications derived from a low level of conscience. Currently there is a rising number of substance abuse regarding synthetic substances with basically sympathomimetic effect, which we can only treat in a general way, decreasing this effect with benzodiazepines.