Consultant issues drink and drugs warning

A CONSULTANT in emergency medicine who is also an outspoken critic of cocaine use has urged New Year revellers to abstain from abuse of drink and drugs and avoid clogging up overstretched A&E departments.

Dr Chris Luke, an A&E consultant at Cork University Hospital (CUH) and the Mercy University Hospital (MUH), said growing numbers of cocaine users were presenting for treatment, particularly young males, generally from inner-city working class areas.

“They are beginning to create a serious workload for staff in A&E. They can be very difficult to manage, very agitated, suffering acute paranoia, and can present with a number of medical complications including heart palpitations, chest pain, cardiac arrest. They can be also be very difficult to treat. Occasionally, they present with a collapsed lung; regularly, they are psychiatric cases.”