Strategies to Prevent Delirium in ICU

Introduction: In the recent years there has been an increase in the use of psychoactive drugs, especially in adolescents and young people. Known as the "ethnobotanics", they are synthetic drugs produced in clandestine locations. Traded under different names - dried plants, scented sticks, bath salts, etc., they can induce states of euphoria, lack of fatigue, low appetite, amnesia, detachment. The undesirable effects consist of hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, aggressive behavior, and in the event of an overdose there are nausea, vomiting, hemodynamic instability, tachycardic pulse, seizure risk, coma. Material and method: Four young patients were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit with a very serious general condition, deeply comorbid, following the ethnobotanic consumption. The treatment consisted of hydroelectrolytic rebalancing, vital function support, mechanical ventilation. Results and Discussion: Under specific therapy for intensive care and careful monitoring of vital functions, evolution was favorable, allowing patients to be transferred to the department and subsequently taken over by the psychiatrist to assess drug addiction and specific treatment. Conclusions: The lack of information on the chemical composition has hampered the therapy of these patients, this being especially oriented towards the treatment of dysfunctions and organ failure.