Accuracy of Patient‐Reported Exposure to New Psychoactive Substances and Other Illicit Drugs in Australian Emergency Departments: Findings From the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia.
Saved in:
| Title: | Accuracy of Patient‐Reported Exposure to New Psychoactive Substances and Other Illicit Drugs in Australian Emergency Departments: Findings From the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Nijmeijer, Marjan J. (AUTHOR), Smith, Jennifer L. (AUTHOR), Weber, Courtney (AUTHOR), Bens, Bas W. J. (AUTHOR), Fatovich, Daniel M. (AUTHOR), Greene, Shaun L. (AUTHOR), Schumann, Jennifer L. (AUTHOR), Dessauer, Paul (AUTHOR), Syrjanen, Rebekka (AUTHOR), Isoardi, Katherine Z. (AUTHOR), Harris, Keith (AUTHOR), Alfred, Sam (AUTHOR), Tran, Viet (AUTHOR), ter Avest, Ewoud (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Drug & Alcohol Review. Jul2026, Vol. 45 Issue 5, p1-12. 12p. |
| Subjects: | Drugs of abuse, Toxicology, Hospital emergency services, Public health, Psychiatric drugs, Patient reported outcome measures, Harm reduction |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| Abstract: | Introduction: New psychoactive substances (NPS) present a unique challenge in clinical, public health and drug‐policy contexts. Continued diversity, unknown potency and often unintentional exposure can limit the accuracy of self‐reported data. This study examined the accuracy of patient‐reported NPS and illicit drug exposure in Australian emergency departments (ED). Methods: Patient‐reported drug exposure, clinical and toxicology data were extracted from the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia Clinical Registry between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2024 for patients presenting with severe and/or unusual illicit drug toxicity in the ED. Blood samples were analysed using mass spectrometry. Agreement between reported and confirmed exposure was assessed using Cohen's kappa, sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios. Logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with discrepancies between reported and confirmed exposures. Results: There were 2044 presentations: 64.6% male, median age 33 years (Q1–Q3, 26–41). Complete agreement between patient‐reported and confirmed drug exposures was 14.3% (n = 293). Agreement between reported and confirmed NPS exposure was poor (κ = 0.38). 1522 (74.5%) had more drugs detected than reported. Older age (OR 1.03 [CI 1.02, 1.04]) was associated with higher odds of discrepancy. Attendance from a licensed venue (OR 0.44 [CI 0.28, 0.70]) and Glasgow Coma Scale of 13–15 (OR 0.44 [CI 0.33, 0.57]) were associated with lower odds. Discussion and Conclusions: Poor agreement between patient‐reported and analytically confirmed drug exposure highlights the need for continued partnerships between EDs, clinical toxicologists, and forensic laboratories to identify substances involved in acute intoxications and support public health and harm reduction responses. Key Points: The potency, pharmacological effects and risk profiles of many new psychoactive substances (NPS) are largely unknown, and exposure is often unintentional.Complete agreement between patient‐reported and analytically confirmed drug exposures was 14.3%; 74.5% had more drugs detected than reported.Patient‐reporting of NPS is unreliable, with poor agreement to analytically confirmed NPS exposure (κ = 0.38). For traditional illicit drugs, agreement ranged from poor (κ = 0.25, methamphetamine) to good (κ = 0.73, gamma‐hydroxybutyrate).Toxicosurveillance data gathered from emergency department presentations can contribute to early warning systems, helping to promptly identify emerging threats and to inform timely public health and harm reduction responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Drug & Alcohol Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
Be the first to leave a comment!
