The authors prospectively monitored 60 consecutive admissions to an
inpatient psychiatry service to determine the role of drugs in psychiatric
hospitalization. They categorized drug-related problems as 1) drug
intoxication, 2) drug abuse, 3) side effects of therapeutic drugs, and 4)
noncompliance with prescribed medications. During the 6- month study 25
(41.7%) of the admissions were related to drug use; in 16 (26.7%)
admissions a drug-related problem was identified as the primary cause of
hospitalization. Alcohol was involved in 8 admissions, and Fiorinal,
cocaine, and flurazepam were each related to 2 admissions.
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