Methamphetamine Toxicity Follow-up
- Author: John R Richards, MD, FAAEM; Chief Editor: Asim Tarabar, MD more...
Further Inpatient Care
- Critical care management may be needed for patients with persistent hypertension, severe rhabdomyolysis, seizures, stroke, coma, hyperthermia, CHF, or acute coronary ischemic syndrome.
Further Outpatient Care
- Referral to drug treatment center and/or psychiatrist may be indicated
Deterrence/Prevention
- Methamphetamine addiction is notoriously difficult to treat successfully, as it is difficult to remove the patient from the subculture involved in the production, distribution, and abuse of the drug.
Complications
- Complications of methamphetamine use include the following:
- Rhabdomyolysis
- Renal failure
- Seizures
- Stroke with permanent deficits
- Coma
- Acute coronary ischemia or infarction
- Congestive heart failure (CHF)
- Ventricular arrhythmias
- Psychosis
- Death
- HIV and viral hepatitis
- Periodontal disease
- Skin infections
Prognosis
- Prognosis is generally good with rapid and appropriate treatment, assuming that the patient does not present with one of the above complications.
Patient Education
- For patient education resources, see the Poisoning - First Aid and Emergency Center, Mental Health and Behavior Center, and Substance Abuse Center, as well as Drug Dependence & Abuse, Substance Abuse, Poisoning, Club Drugs, and Activated Charcoal.
- For more information, see Medscape's Addiction Resource Center.
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