O017 Chemsex related admissions to a city centre hospital. (30th June 2016) - Ward, Chris
Abstract : Background/introduction: Recreational drug use (RDU), particularly the chemsex drugs mephedrone, crystal methamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) are associated with significant harms. Occasionally this has led to hospital admission with significant morbidity and mortality. Aim(s)/objectives: To review inpatient admissions from a large HIV service and look at RDU associations. Methods: A prospective analysis of admissions to an HIV inpatient service between April 2015 and March 2016 was conducted. Information was collected on demographics, admission details, complications and drug use. Results: From 194 admissions there were 19 (9.8%) related to RDU. Median age was 33.5 (range 23–65). All were male and 18 (94.7%) were men who have sex with men (MSM). 4 (21.1%) were Hepatitis C co-infected. 5 (26.3%) patients took GHB, 5 (26.3%) mephedrone and 4 (21.1%) crystal meth. Cause of admission can be seen in Table 1 . There were 3 deaths due to drug overdoses during the study period. Discussion/conclusion: RDU was responsible for 9.8% of admissions, with GHB, mephedrone and crystal meth responsible for 21–26%. This may underestimate the true effect of drug admissions as it only involves HIV positive MSM. We've developed a chemsex clinic and city-wide task and finish group, in liaison with Public Health to address the growing effect of chemsex. Clinicians need to ensure RDU is regularly reviewed and timely interventions are offered to limit harms.