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I want to know if Portuguese emergency rooms (and hospitals in general) are having to deal with more drug addicts and drug-related acute health problems (overdo
by derleth 13y ago
I want to know if Portuguese emergency rooms (and hospitals in general) are having to deal with more drug addicts and drug-related acute health problems (overdoses are only one variety) and drug-related complications to existing health problems.
Everyone knows about overdoses. But if you take opioids to the point you become physically dependent and then you need surgery, the anesthesia provider has to work around a body with a different (narrower!) dose-response curve to anesthetics: Normal people have a broad range of doses which provide pain control but don't kill them. A long-term addict has a very narrow range between "Not feeling it" and "Heart just stopped."
That's just one example. I'm sure there are others. How are Portuguese healthcare providers dealing with this?
- samatman 13y agoBetter than they were when there were strong legal reasons not to disclose one's status as a junkie, I dare say.