Explain what US government agency gathers data concerning drug – related medical emergencies in hospitals

Question

Be sure to include the Network's two major concerns, the seven major circumstances most frequently addressed, and at least 2 statistics relating to the emergencies reported.
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: The U.S. government currently gathers data concerning drug-related medical emergencies in major metropolitan hospitals through a program called the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN).

Two basic types of information are reported. The first concerns the number of times an individual visits an emergency department These drug - related ED visits involve a wide range of drug-related situations: suicide attempts, malicious poisoning, overmedication, and adverse reactions to medications, as well as the use of illicit drugs, the use of dietary supplements, and the nonmedical use of prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.

The second type of information concerns the number of drug-related deaths, as determined by a coroner or medical examiner. The proportion of drug-related ED visits involving alcohol use requires some explanation.

The seven major concerns are: (1) Illicit drugs with alcohol and medications, (2) alcohol with medications, (3) illicit drugs with medications, (4) illicit drugs with alcohol, (5) illicit drugs only, (6) alcohol only, and (7) medications only.

About one-fourth (26 percent) of drug related ED visits in 2008 involved some use of alcohol in combination with an illicit drug, with a prescription or OTC medication, or with an illicit drug and a medication. Approximately 46 percent of all ED visits in 2008 were associated with either drug abuse or drug misuse. Two-thirds of all drug-related ED visits involved an adverse experience with either a prescription or an OTC medication (33 percent), with illicit drugs alone (25 percent) or with a combination of medications and illicit drugs (8 percent).