1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
2Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center (MTDRC), Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Moallem Avenue, Birjand, Iran
*Corresponding author: Omid Mehrpour Medical Toxicology and Drug Abuse Research Center (MTDRC), Birjand University of Medical Sciences (BUMS), Moallem Avenue, Birjand, 9717853577 Iran. E-mail: omid.mehrpour@yahoo.com.au Tel & Fax: +98-5632381270 Mobile phone: +989155598571
Online published on 16 August, 2018.
There is very less knowledge about the severity of head injury due to consuming psychotropic drugs and psychoactive substances. Hence, the present study aimed to assess the relation between the severity of head trauma and the type of drugs used including opiates, cannabis, methamphetamines and benzodiazepines.
Seventy five patients with moderate to severe head trauma were included into the present cross-sectional study. The severity of injuries was scaled based on the Injury Severity Score (ISS) and Glasgow Coma scale (GCS). Urine sample was screened for drugs and substances using the immunochromatography assay.
With respect to the type of drug used, 32.0% of cases had no history of drug or substance abuse, whereas 45.3% used one of the substances studies as benzodiazepines in 8%, cannabis or marijuana in 9.3% and opiates in 28%. Also, 22.6% used a combination of these drugs. The severity of injury based on GCS score was independent to the type of drug or substances misused (p = 0.780). Similarly, no difference was found in the mean ISS score as another score for assessing severity of injury and type of drugs used (p = 0.208). Using the multivariable linear regression models, there was no relationship between the type of drug used and brain injury severity in head trauma patients adjusted for gender, age, and injured site.
About two-third of patients with brain trauma due to road accidents or unexpected events had recent history of drugs or substance consuming. The severity of brain injury may be independent to the type drug or substance misused.
Head injury, Trauma, Drug, Substance use
