Spice Spice Baby

Specialties Emergency

Published

Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.

We have been receiving dozens of spice patients recently who have been holding up beds in the ER and ICU. Just wondering if any other areas have been seeing the same increase in usage?

There are three hospitals here in Anchorage and our EMS often responds to calls of group spice usage and treating it as a mass casualty event.... a few usually end up intubated. Its eating up resources and burning out EMS and ER staff.

Episode 27: Spice Roulette | Frontiers | KTVA Anchorage CBS 11

Spice: Street drug continues to plague Anchorage homeless | KTVA Anchorage CBS 11

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Thanks for posting those links! This spice thing is getting ridiculous.

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Yup. Posted about it a few weeks back. The crazy thing is the way a pt crumps can depend on what brand they used

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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.
Yup. Posted about it a few weeks back. The crazy thing is the way a pt crumps can depend on what brand they used

Yea I saw that post! I guess what we are experiencing here are group spice usage where there are 8-15 people at a time. Of course as you know they just drop, or start seizing, or just go bat **** crazy. Sometimes all of our ambulance for the city are on scene for these group calls. Supposedly one of the batches that was tested here had properties similar to water hemlock which somewhat explained the seizures we were seeing.

Just wondering if any other cities/states have done their own chemical analysis. I know there are numerous different types and you can even buy it off of Amazon.... along with Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds.

Also, I was wondering if any other emergency departments have created a protocol or standing orders (other than symptomatic treatment) for responding to spice like we do for ETOH intoxication or withdrawals.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.
Yup. Posted about it a few weeks back. The crazy thing is the way a pt crumps can depend on what brand they used

Seriously! Why cant people just stick to things we know. Does your facility have any type of protocol in responding to spice or just treat symptomatically?

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We've been seeing an increase of spice usage in our pregnant moms, too. Some of those kids are coming out really messed up.

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Specializes in Home Health (PDN), Camp Nursing.

Group use is a nightmare I can't even imagine. One of our local crews got their ass handed to them by a seizure patient who ended up being a spice user. Stopped seizing started fighting. No police available locally had to wait for backup from 20 miles away.

I'm in central PA.

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Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Yes so much the local newspaper had a big article about 2-3 weeks ago, front page Sunday paper.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I'm in an area we usually get 5-10 a week-this is a PediER...some come in "together", meaning, one comes in first, then the friend comes in, some are aggressive, others are so labile and sleepy...totally unpredictable.

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Our pharmD's and attending a are compiling data. One runs around with different packages showing them to pt's asking which one they used.

We do get groups when certain new products hit the market, but also get individuals.

Bath salts is another crazy situation.

We don't have standing protocols per say, since there are so many different presentations/progressions. It's hard to have one protocol. Half the time it's never even confirmed as spice as there is no way to test for it.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.

That is crazy! Mostly have been seeing it with the homeless and young college kid and an occasional Jr high/high school kids. But it probably wont be long till we see it with pregnant moms. How sad.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, ICU.
Our pharmD's and attending a are compiling data. One runs around with different packages showing them to pt's asking which one they used.

We do get groups when certain new products hit the market, but also get individuals.

Bath salts is another crazy situation.

We don't have standing protocols per say, since there are so many different presentations/progressions. It's hard to have one protocol. Half the time it's never even confirmed as spice as there is no way to test for it.

Tis true about not being confirmed as spice or actually where they got it from and what chemicals its been mixed with.

With peoples experiences so far do you find some meds seem to work better that others depending of if they are acting as if on PCP vs a sedative? We have found with the wild crazy some started them on propofol of 5mcg/kg/mg sometimes seems to just totally crash their BP and then end up on pressers. Its had to pick the perfect meds when you don't know what you are dealing with. Versed and ketamine seem to work for mild cases

Anyone with a different experience or what seems to be working in your department?

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