Injuries and poisonings associated with methamphetamine use: sentinel surveillance, the electronic Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (eCHIRPP), 2011-2019. / Blessures et intoxications associées à la consommation de méthamphétamine : surveillance sentinelle à l'aide de la plateforme électronique du Système canadien hospitalierd'information et de recherche en prévention des traumatismes (eSCHIRPT), 2011 à 2019.

ABSTRACT

Information from emergency department (ED) visits for methamphetamine-related injuries and poisonings between 1 April 2011 and 9 August 2019 were captured from 19 sentinel sites across Canada for all ages. Overall, 1093 cases (97.6/100 000 eCHIRPP cases) were identified (59.4% male), with female patients experiencing more poisonings (71% vs 57.4% for males). Unintentional injuries and poisoning accounted for 14.8% of ED presentations. Self-harm (while or as a result of consuming methamphetamine) accounted for 11.4% of cases. The circumstances surrounding injuries and poisonings associated with methamphetamine are varied and include self-harm, fall-related brain injuries, mental illness, criminal activity and other circumstances. These domains should be taken into account when developing mitigation strategies.

1093 methamphetamine-related injury and poisoning cases presented to participating emergency departments (EDs). 71.4% of patients aged 10­14 years were female; of those aged 15­19 years, 63.7% were female. 70.4% of the patients aged 20 years plus were male. Of the 689 cases that also involved other substances (63%), 40.9% involved two or more other substances. Alcohol (24.4%), cannabis (10.7%), cocaine (7.7%), heroin (5.4%), opiates (3.6%) and other substances (7.3%) were involved when only one substance other than methamphetamine was used. Compared to males, females had more poisonings, while males more frequently had multiple injuries. Self-harm accounted for 11.4% of cases.