Journal of Medical and Surgical Intensive Care Medicine 2018 , Vol 9, Issue 3
Intensive Care Unit Outcomes of the Cases with Cannabinoid Intoxication
Tamer Kuzucuoğlu 1 ,Serkan Uçkun 1 ,Feriha Temizel 1 ,Gülten Arslan 1 ,Banu Çevik 1
1Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi, Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Kartal Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Anesteziyoloji ve Reanimasyon, İstanbul, Türkiye DOI : 10.5152/dcbybd.2018.1596 Objective: Bonsai from synthetic cannabinoids (SC) is a commonly used addictive drug among young subjects. Life-threatening Bonsai intoxication requires monitoring in ICU.

Material and Methods: Eight patients monitored for Bonsai intoxication in the ICU of our hospital between 2014 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were evaluated for age, sex, APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), baseline clinical status, and systemic signs. Whole blood count, blood glucose level, liver function tests, kidney function tests, serum electrolytes, and coagulation parameter were tested. The time length to regain consciousness, monitoring duration in ICU, length of mechanical ventilation period, hemodynamic parameters, and complications were evaluated.

Results: The study group included only male patients. The mean length of ICU admission was 2.0±1.1 days. Mean APACHE and GCS scores were 11.0 ± 3.1 and 8.0 ± 1.2 points, respectively. Baseline examination at admission to ICU indicated restlessness and agitation, hallucination, and amnesia in 3, 1, and 2 patients, respectively. Two patients with respiratory distress were intubated. The evaluation of cardiovascular system demonstrated hypertension, hypotension, and tachycardia in 2, 3, and 2 patients, respectively. Laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis in 3 patients. Epileptic seizure and hypotension were encountered in 2 and 5 patients, respectively, whereas 3 patients experienced hallucination and agitation during monitoring in the ICU. All patients were referred to the psychiatry clinic of the hospital.

Conclusion: Bonsai intoxication is a difficult disease to diagnose and is particularly common in the young population with distinct clinical signs. We conclude that bonsai intoxication should be taken into account in emergency cases. Keywords : Cannabinoids, intensive care, mechanical ventilation, emergencies