Urine Drug Screen Trends from 1998 through 2011 Among Emergency Department Patients Treated in a University Teaching Hospital.

ABSTRACT

The emergency department (ED) at Louisiana State University-Health Science Center in Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) serves an urban population with a large rural catchment area. This study focuses on demographic variables in substance abuse trends in this region based on urine drug screen (UDS) results. A database of de-identified UDSs ordered in the ED at LSUHSC-S between 1998 and 2011 was analyzed. Samples were tested for the presence of amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cannabinoids, cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methadone, methamphetamine, opiates, phencyclidine, and propoxyphene. The patient population was categorized by age group, gender, and race. The majority of tests were performed on African-American and Caucasian patients ages 18 to 54 followed by the 0 to 11-year-old group. Of the drugs tested, cannabinoids represented the highest percentage of positive results in both the African-American and Caucasian populations. Opiates returned the highest percent of positive results among all prescription drugs. The Caucasian population predominated in positive tests for prescription drugs (opiates and benzodiazepines), while the African-American population predominated in results positive for illicit drugs (cannabinoids and cocaine). The increasing presence of opiates and cannabinoids, particularly in very young patients, should prompt policy makers and healthcare providers to develop intervention strategies to protect the most vulnerable populations.