Background: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) have been profiled as ââ?¬Ë?party drugsââ?¬â?¢\r\nused mainly at dance parties and in nightclubs on weekend nights. The purpose of this study was to examine the\r\nfrequency of injecting drug use among GHB/GBL overdose patients and whether there are temporal differences in\r\nthe occurrence of GHB/GBL overdoses of injecting drug and recreational drug users.\r\nMethods: In this retrospective study, the ambulance and hospital records of suspected GHB- and GBL overdose\r\npatients treated by the Helsinki Emergency Medical Service from January 1st 2006 to December 31st 2007 were\r\nreviewed. According to the temporal occurrence of the overdose, patients were divided in two groups. In group A,\r\nthe overdose occurred on a Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday night between 11 pm-6 am. Group B consisted of\r\noverdoses occurring on outside this time frame.\r\nResults: Group A consisted of 39 patient contacts and the remaining 61 patient contacts were in group B. There\r\nwere statistically significant differences between the two groups in (group A vs. B, respectively): history of injecting\r\ndrug abuse (33% vs. 59%, p = 0.012), reported polydrug and ethanol use (80% vs. 62%, p = 0.028), the location\r\nwhere the patients were encountered (private or public indoors or outdoors, 10%, 41%, 41% vs. 25%, 18%, 53%, p\r\n= 0.019) and how the knowledge of GHB/GBL use was obtained (reported by patient/bystanders or clinical\r\nsuspicion, 72%, 28% vs. 85%, 10%, p = 0.023). Practically all (99%) patients were transported to emergency\r\ndepartment after prehospital care.\r\nConclusion: There appears to be at least two distinct groups of GHB/GBL users. Injecting drug users represent the\r\nmajority of GHB/GBL overdose patients outside weekend nights.
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