Download PDF: Clinical Communiqué December 2024 Edition
In this edition
Editorial
Case #1: Dangers of the dancefloor
Expert Commentary Not too hot to handle? - MDMA toxicity and hyperthermia recognition and treatment
Expert Commentary We all want young people to be safe - is drug checking the right approach?
This edition features the 2019 NSW coronial finding of the deaths of six patrons who died after ingesting MDMA (3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine) at music festivals. The inquest was a wide-ranging investigation into the tragic cluster of cases to consider whether the deaths were potentially preventable. It looked not only at the medical aspects of the care provided to the young adults involved; but also, the issues surrounding first responders, policing, drug surveillance, and community awareness of the dangers of drug use at festivals.
Dr Jacqueline Maplesden, a Victorian based Emergency Physician provides an excellent expert summary on the clinical features of MDMA toxicity, with management principles and key learnings about rapid responses in these scenarios. Professor Yvonne Bonomo and Ms Amanda Norman from the Department of Addiction Medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne share a comprehensive commentary about emerging trends of recreational drug use, particularly at music events, and the use of pill testing across Australian jurisdictions.
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