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Clinical review: Major consequences of illicit drug consumption

Overview of attention for article published in Critical Care, January 2008
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About this Attention Score

  • In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (98th percentile)
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (96th percentile)

Mentioned by

news
8 news outlets
policy
1 policy source
wikipedia
5 Wikipedia pages

Citations

dimensions_citation
170 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
215 Mendeley
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Title
Clinical review: Major consequences of illicit drug consumption
Published in
Critical Care, January 2008
DOI 10.1186/cc6166
Pubmed ID
Authors

Robert J Devlin, John A Henry

Abstract

Because illicit drugs are now widely consumed, every doctor needs to know their acute medical consequences and complications. Here, we review the problems associated with the different drugs from a systems-based viewpoint. Apart from the respiratory depressant effect of opioids, crack cocaine is the most common cause of respiratory complications, mainly linked with its mode of use, with airway burns, pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and lung syndromes being well-recognised sequelae. Because of its marked cardiovascular effects, cocaine is also a major cause of coronary syndromes and myocardial infarction. Amphetamines may produce similar effects less commonly. Hyperthermia may occur with cocaine toxicity or with 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) due to exertion or from serotonin syndrome. Cerebral haemorrhage may result from the use of amphetamines or cocaine. Hallucinations may follow consumption of LSD, amphetamines, or cocaine. MDMA is a major cause of acute severe hyponatraemia and also has been linked with hepatic syndromes. Collapse, convulsions, or coma may be caused in different circumstances by opioids, MDMA, or gamma hydroxybutyrate and may be aggravated by other sedatives, especially alcohol and benzodiazepines. Recognition of these acute complications is urgent, and treatment must be based on an understanding of the likely underlying problem as well as on basic principles of supportive care.

Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 215 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Brazil 5 2%
Chile 2 <1%
United States 2 <1%
Germany 1 <1%
Norway 1 <1%
Iceland 1 <1%
Colombia 1 <1%
Spain 1 <1%
Mexico 1 <1%
Other 0 0%
Unknown 200 93%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Bachelor 31 14%
Other 26 12%
Researcher 24 11%
Student > Postgraduate 24 11%
Student > Master 24 11%
Other 56 26%
Unknown 30 14%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 94 44%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 15 7%
Psychology 14 7%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 9 4%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 8 4%
Other 37 17%
Unknown 38 18%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 55. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 04 January 2024.
All research outputs
#762,839
of 25,373,627 outputs
Outputs from Critical Care
#552
of 6,554 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#1,935
of 168,897 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Critical Care
#1
of 26 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,373,627 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 96th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 6,554 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 20.8. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 91% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 168,897 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 26 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 96% of its contemporaries.