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Medical implication of intoxication with legal spice plants in Romania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

A. Csorba
Affiliation:
Department of Drug Addictions, Emergency County Hospital Cluj Napoca, Psychiatric Clinic 3, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
L. Domokos
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Clinic II, Târgu-Mures, Romania
H. Nagy
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Clinic II, Târgu-Mures, Romania
D. Cosman
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
A. Mihai
Affiliation:
Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Târgu-Mures, Romania

Abstract

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In lasts years in Romania a new challenge for the young appears: the legal spice shops. The promotions of using these substances include the promising like: relaxation, happiness, energy, sexual performance, increasing of social abilities.

Aims

evaluation of medical consequences of intoxication with spice plants (Bonsai, “magic charge”, “mariciuca”, Salvia divinorum, Mitragina speciosa and others). The precise composition of substance used was not clear but the known drugs were excluded. Material and method: all patients with diagnosis of intoxication of spice plants, admitted for at least 24 hours in Department of Drug Dependence, in a 3 months period, in 2010 were evaluated, not only concerning psychiatric psychopathology but also for other medical symptoms or diseases.

Results

We excluded the patients who have used other known drugs, and had positive results in blood and urine analysis. 17 patients used spice plants associate with alcohol less then 0.5%0, coffee or tobacco, 7 patients used only spice plants. The cardiovascular symptoms were present in 53%, gastrointestinal symptoms in 73%, neurological symptoms in 53%, renal symptoms 5%. We verified the personal history of diseases and also co-morbid acute diseases. Psychiatric symptoms were characteristic to substance induced psychotic disorders.

Conclusions

This study wanted to define and underline the specificity of clinical presentation of intoxication with spice plants, being useful to be known in emergency settings. These medical implications of use of this legal spice plants should also involve community, administrative or political actions for prevention of these medical consequences.

Type
P01-19
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2011
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