PROFILE OF FIRST 100 IN-PATIENTS IN DE-ADDICTION WARD T.U. TEACHING HOSPITAL, NEPAL

Abstract

ABSTRACT Men and women suffering from the problems of various psychoactive substance abuse were helped to come out of the problem by the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health since it’s establishment in 1986. Since the De-addiction ward started functioning under the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, T.U. Teaching Hospital (TUTH) from February, 2000 A.D., people suffering from various drugs related problems have received in-patient care. This study describes the profile of first 100 psychoactive substance abusers admitted in this ward. The first hundred patients were admitted in a period of 5 months and 2 weeks, in an average of 18 patients per month. Eighty eight males, the average age being 33.3+10.98 years. Seventy were married. The average years of education was 8.56+4.94 years. Alcohol (n=58) was the commonest initial substance, followed by cannabis (n=19) and cigarette (n=11). Currently 60 were predominantly alcohol users and 36 predominantly opiate users. The majority were multiple substance users: 79 used alcohol, 37 used opiates, 25 used cannabis and 18 used benzodiazepines. Age at first use was 19.57+5.54 years and duration of continuous use was 5.88+4.47 years. Eleven (8 males) were HIV ELISA reactive, all of whom were parenteral opiate abusers. Thirty-nine (35 males) had fatty changes in liver and 6 (all males) had cirrhotic changes in liver. Those 45 persons with liver abnormality were all alcohol users. Key Words: psychoactive substance, alcohol, opiates, HIV, liver changes.