ABSTRACT
Emergency services are an important component of any substance abuse treatment service. Two important settings where patients might seek help are the emergency departments (EDs) of general hospitals and those of specialty psychiatric hospitals. The common substances consumed by patients presenting with intoxication and overdose to psychiatric emergency services are alcohol, opioids, anxiolytics– benzodiazepines, sedatives–hypnotics, stimulant drugs, and cannabis. In specialist psychiatry emergency settings, emergencies due to substance abuse contribute up to 12% of the case load. The substances abused by those presenting to emergency settings in low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries usually include alcohol, various forms and preparations of opioids, inhalant, and volatile substances, different stimulants, sedatives–hypnotics, and benzodiazepines–anxiolytics. Patients presenting with psychosis in the context of substance abuse in emergency settings always pose a diagnostic dilemma to a treating psychiatrist. Psychiatric emergencies due to substance abuse pose multiple challenges to the treating physician. These are not only medical and psychiatric, but also legal and ethical.
