Admissions of XXXX to a general hospital: a retrospective study in the northern district of Glasgow.

@entity1 @entity1956 @entity4784 @entity1150 @entity281 @entity734 @entity884
Medical and surgical admissions of @entity734 to Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow in the period 1980-1984 were reviewed. Admission numbers, which totalled 123, rose markedly over the period of the study, particularly in the final year. The mean age of addicts was 21 years. Ninety-two per cent abused heroin but many abused combinations of drugs. Inadvertent @entity4784 overdosage was the commonest diagnosis amongst medical admissions followed by @entity1150 . A small number of cases of @entity884 presented particular problems in diagnosis and management. The commonest reason for surgical admission was abscess formation. Whilst 85% of addicts showed markers of @entity281 with @entity1956 , chronic carriage of surface antigen occurred in only 10%. Few addicts had withdrawal symptoms although the practice of @entity4784 and/or tranquilliser prescribing varied. Many admissions were of short duration with 36% ending in @entity1 taking their own discharge. Only 16% of addicts were notified to the Home Office.
