Assistant Medical Director Vituity Wichita, Kansas
Disclosure(s): Doximity: Ownership or Partnership (Ongoing)
Disclosure(s):
Joshua J. Davis, MD, FAAEM: Doximity: Ownership or Partnership (Ongoing)
Methamphetamine and other stimulant-related visits are increasing nationwide, presenting unique challenges for emergency clinicians. Unlike opioid overdose, there is no reversal agent for acute stimulant toxicity, and many patients present with a combination of psychiatric agitation, medical complications, and substance use disorder. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing we can do to help these suffering patients, but THERE IS!
This session will equip emergency physicians with a practical approach to patients with acute and chronic methamphetamine use, integrating medical stabilization, management of agitation and psychosis, and recognition of risk of medical complications and comorbidities. Beyond acute care, this session will highlight opportunities for harm reduction and initiating care for stimulant use disorder in the ED—an area where most clinicians feel less confident. We will review the evidence (and limitations) for pharmacotherapies, behavioral interventions, and discuss how to engage patients in treatment, even during high-acuity presentations. We will discuss both established and new pharmacologic intervention options for patients with stimulant use disorder. Attendees will also learn how to identify and address the impact of stimulant use on marginalized populations, including patients experiencing housing instability or co-occurring mental health disorders.
This talk is designed to empower emergency physicians to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for patients using methamphetamine and related stimulants.
Learning Objectives:
Implement an evidence-based approach to the management of acute agitation and psychosis in patients using methamphetamines.
Discuss the role of the Emergency Department in initiating treatment -- including pharmacologic treatment -- and facilitating linkage to care for patients with stimulant use disorder.
Implement harm reduction strategies and patient engagement techniques tailored to people who use stimulants.
