Medical Journal of The Islamic Republic of Iran (MJIRI)

  Abstract

  Background: Patients with addictions have many acute and chronic medical illnesses, both related and unrelated to their addictions. In spite of high incidence of

  substance-related disabilities, substance abuse is usually underdiagnosed in general

  hospitals. The objective of the present study was to investigate the frequency and pattern of substance use in patients with different medical complaints.

  Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study , 1000 outpatients, aged 17 and

  older with various medical complaints were participated. The patients were attending

  neurology, ENT, nephrology, ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopedic, gastroenterology, surgical and dermatology clinics of four selected general hospitals. A 93 item clinicians-made scale, Rapid Situation Assessment of Drug Abuse in Iran, was used in this survey, and 30 items which focused on drug use were selected.

  Results: 8.7% of the patients reported lifelong or recent substance use and Opium

  was the most used substance, reported by 65.5% of the patients. Patients of neurology

  ,ophthalmology and orthopedic clinics showed the highest consumption . Smoking

  and injestion were the most frequent routes of substance used and the most reported

  pattern of use were 2 or 4 times a day and once a week.

  Conclusions: The current cohort of substance users were relatively young, and

  many had reported detectable nervous system and orthopedic complications. Further

  research must investigate -their outcomes in the long term.