NCJ Number
211044
Journal
Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: 2005 Pages: 41-53
Date Published
2005
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article presents a case review of six adolescents with repeat alcohol or other drug (AOD) emergency department (ED) admissions.
Abstract
A previous 12-month review of hospital ED presentations in 4 public hospitals in Western Australia identified a cohort of 55 AOD using adolescents who had 236 repeat presentations. Upon closer examination six of these adolescents accounted for 47 percent of the AOD presentations. The current study was designed to describe the frequency and type of substance abuse among these AOD using adolescents and to describe the type of interventions that impacted their AOD use. The 24-month case review on these six adolescents involved data from hospital case notes and patient notes from September 1999 to August 2001. Each case is described in turn; overall, there were 172 hospital presentations among the 6 adolescents, 98 of which were overdoses. ED treatment focused on acute care, with all six adolescents receiving referrals to treatment agencies, two of which were for a residential psychiatric hospital. Treatment protocols for all six adolescents are described, as well as any resulting ED presentations. Overall, ED-based interventions had little impact on the future ED presentations of these high-risk AOD using adolescents. However, preliminary results showed dramatic reductions in post-treatment ED presentations among the adolescents who received naltrexone implant treatment. The authors plan a systematic follow-up of all naltrexone implant cases in Western Australia. Table, figure, references