Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Amphetamine Associated Emergency Department Visits at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Authors

Mohammed K. Alsharef, Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Aairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaFollow
Mahdi Almutairi, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Nouf Ababtain, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Alajmi, Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Aairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Alrajhi, Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Aairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Faisal Alhusain, Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Aairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Al Deeb, Emergency Medicine Department, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Aairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia AND King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the demographic and clinical profiles of patients presenting with amphetamine-related emergencies at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Amphetamine use is an escalating public health issue linked to a rise in emergency department (ED) visits.

Methods: This retrospective study encompasses 14 years and focuses on individuals diagnosed with amphetamine-related toxicity.

Results: Among the 659 cases studied, a predominant 96% were male, with over half (52%) aged between 19 and 30 years. Most patients (91%) were Saudi nationals. The leading cause of presentation was trauma, accounting for 24% of cases. This was followed by altered mental status (14%), seizures (10%), and acute intoxication (6%). Cardiovascular issues, such as chest pain, were noted in 6% of cases. ED stays varied in duration: 35% of patients remained in the ED for 4 to 8 h, while 28% stayed for more than 12 h. Weekend presentations made up 40% of the total cases, with a notably higher proportion of male patients presenting on weekends (99%) than on weekdays (95%). No significant differences were detected between visits during salary weeks compared to non-salary weeks.

Conclusion: Amphetamine-related ED visits primarily involve young adult males, with trauma as the most common presenting complaint. The incidence of these visits did not differ significantly between salary and non-salary periods.

Article Type

Original Study

First Page

67

Last Page

73

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Alsharef, Mohammed K.; Almutairi, Mahdi; Ababtain, Nouf; Alajmi, Mohammed; Alrajhi, Abdulrahman; Alhusain, Faisal; and Deeb, Mohammad Al (2026) "Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Amphetamine Associated Emergency Department Visits at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia," Saudi Medical Journal: Vol. 47: Iss. 1, Article 9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2026.47.1.20250453