@article{ref1,
title="Admissions of drug addicts to a general hospital: a retrospective study in the northern district of Glasgow",
journal="Scottish medical journal",
year="1987",
author="Horn, E. H. and Henderson, H. R. and Forrest, J. A.",
volume="32",
number="2",
pages="41-45",
abstract="Medical and surgical admissions of drug addicts to Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow in the period 1980-1984 were reviewed. Admission numbers, which totalled 123, rose markedly over the period of the study, particularly in the final year. The mean age of addicts was 21 years. Ninety-two per cent abused heroin but many abused combinations of drugs. Inadvertent narcotic overdosage was the commonest diagnosis amongst medical admissions followed by deep venous thrombosis. A small number of cases of staphylococcal endocarditis presented particular problems in diagnosis and management. The commonest reason for surgical admission was abscess formation. Whilst 85% of addicts showed markers of past infection with hepatitis B, chronic carriage of surface antigen occurred in only 10%. Few addicts had withdrawal symptoms although the practice of narcotic and/or tranquilliser prescribing varied. Many admissions were of short duration with 36% ending in patients taking their own discharge. Only 16% of addicts were notified to the Home Office.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0036-9330",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}