Acute cardiac care & resuscitation
Prevalence and impact of recreational drug use in patients with acute cardiovascular events
Authors' conclusion
The prevalence of recreational drug use in patients hospitalised in ICCU was 11%. Recreational drug detection was independently associated with worse in-hospital outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Patients admitted to intensive cardiac care units (ICCU), 39 French centres, 7–22 April 2021
- Participants
- 1,499 consecutive patients
- Exposure
- Recreational drug detection vs no detection
- Recreational drug usen = 161
- Outcome
- Prevalence of recreational drug detection
Methodological details39 French centres, systematic urinary screening, consecutive patients
- 39 French centres
- Systematic urinary screening
- Consecutive patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Positive test for recreational drugs
- 161 (11%)
- Cannabis
- 9.1%
- Opioids
- 2.1%
- Cocaine
- 1.7%
- Amphetamines
- 0.7%
- MDMA
- 0.6%
- Declared recreational drug use among positive patients
- 57%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-hospital MAEs (death, resuscitated cardiac arrest or haemodynamic shock)Recreational drugs vs Others · adjusted for comorbidities | 8.84 (4.68–16.7) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.050.21520Odds ratio (log scale) |
In-hospital major adverse events (MAEs) with multiple drug detection (28% of positive patients)
| Comparison | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple drugs | 12.7 (4.80–35.6) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.050.21520Odds ratio (log scale) |
| Outcome | Recreational drug use | Others | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-hospital MAEs (death, resuscitated cardiac arrest or haemodynamic shock)Recreational drugs vs Others · unadjusted | Not reported in the abstract | 3% | P < 0.001 | Recreational drug use: not reported in the abstract |
- In-hospital MAEs (death, resuscitated cardiac arrest or haemodynamic shock): Recreational drugs 13%
In-hospital MAEs (death, resuscitated cardiac arrest or haemodynamic shock)
- Cannabis, cocaine and MDMA, assessed separately, independently associated with in-hospital MAEs after adjustment
Original publication
Prevalence and impact of recreational drug use in patients with acute cardiovascular events. Heart. Published 15 August 2023. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it