Violent ice addicts a threat to hospital safety: study

[apothecary]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/19/2095219.htm

New research has revealed an alarming level of aggression, violence and psychosis amongst crystal methamphetamine or ice addicts who turn up at emergency departments.

The research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, analysed more than 10,000 patients at an inner city hospital in Sydney, and has brought new calls for better measures to protect hospital staff.

As the head of St Vincent's hospital emergency department, Professor Gordian Fulde and his staff are on the front line of the Sydney's drug problem.

He says ice users are presenting to hospital in growing numbers.

'I've never seen anything like it, there is nothing like it, of even a person who is absolutely psychotic from just ordinary mental illness," Professor Fulde said.

"They are just totally uninhibited, as far as their own safety, anybody else's safety, they'll do anything."

Professor Fulde cites some shocking cases in New Zealand, saying some addicts go "totally beserk".

"There is these absolutely amazing crimes where people hack off arms of their family and things like that, and do unbelievable acts," he said.

Research published in today's Medical Journal of Australia, analysed more than 10,000 patients who presented to St Vincent's after taking illegal drugs.

Conducted over three months, it found methamphetamine users were more agitated, violent and aggressive than patients who had used other drugs.

Mental health risks

Professor Fulde says it also found methamphetamine patients were more likely to be brought to hospital by police, and 39 per cent were scheduled for mental health treatment.

"That is the big, big problem here is that even after three to four months of regular ice taking - a couple of days a week or something like that, you start being able to prove on scans, changes in the anatomy of the brain and a functioning of the brain," he said.

Phillipa Bunting who led the research, says it has implications for how police, ambulance and emergency staff should be trained to cope with methamphetamine patients.

"I think it's really significant because it's the first time we've actually been able to collect hard data and confirms the suspicions that we've all had," she said.

Ms Bunting believes the research provides shocking evidence of the problem to administrators.

"This is a problem and we need significant resources in order to ensure that our staff and other patients are protected and are given appropriate resources to deal with these patients ," she said.

Staff protection

The Australian Nursing Federation has welcomed the findings, saying it adds weight to their calls for measures to protect staff.

The Federation's Ged Kearney says security guards would help, as well as better training to help nurses deal with methamphetamine patients.

"Most states and territories have a zero tolerance to violence," he said.

"We need measures to protect the nurses; we need adequate training in how to deal with aggressive and violent behaviour and adequate support.

"The absolute key to stopping this sort of thing is having the right number of nurses, allied health professionals, doctors and people who can deal with these instances on the floor."

The Australian National Council on Drugs estimated around 73,000 Australians are addicted to methamphetamines.

The Council's Gino Vumbaca says it is a growing national problem and health workers around the country should take note of the research findings.

"There are obviously going to be epicentres of where this is going to occur in Sydney and Melbourne and Brisbane and Perth and the like," he said.

"The other thing it highlights is that we still suffer from a lack of treatment options and there is nothing that we can do quickly about that.

"But we need to realise that a lot of people are turning up in residential centres and the non-government sector for treatment, and that we don't have an option like methadone which is applicable for amphetamine or methamphetamines."