Admissions of drug addicts to a general hospital: a retrospective study in the northern district of Glasgow.

Medical and surgical admissions of drug addicts to Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow in the period 1980-1984 were reviewed. Admission numbers, which totalled 123, rose markedly over the period of the study, particularly in the final year. The mean age of addicts was 21 years. Ninety-two per cent abused heroin but many abused combinations of drugs. Inadvertent narcotic overdosage was the commonest diagnosis amongst medical admissions followed by deep venous thrombosis. A small number of cases of staphylococcal endocarditis presented particular problems in diagnosis and management. The commonest reason for surgical admission was abscess formation. Whilst 85% of addicts showed markers of past infection with hepatitis B, chronic carriage of surface antigen occurred in only 10%. Few addicts had withdrawal symptoms although the practice of narcotic and/or tranquilliser prescribing varied. Many admissions were of short duration with 36% ending in patients taking their own discharge. Only 16% of addicts were notified to the Home Office.