Drugs in HS?

[Avill, BSN, RN]

Hello, 
I'm just wondering what kind of experience you guys have with kids on drugs?

For example, I've noticed that if a kid does a vape that has THC their pulse will be in the 130s-140s and they may or may not faint (that is when I usually get called)

Recently I've had some kids with pulse in the 40s 50s and rest of vitals okay but you can tell they are clearly on something. I'm assuming a pill because one of them admitted it but they didn't say what. 

What are your thoughts and experience with this? Especially pills?

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Most in the past few years have involved vaping and edibles. Hard to prove at times.

[salpn]

Someone posted here a bunch of evaluation protocol forms.    I've adapted one of those for our own use.   Yeah, you can usually tell pretty quickly.

Of course, as the DO nurse, I'm tasked with the drug testing and many students are by virtue of sports/extracurriculars subject to be testing, so for them I run the tests.   For others, I suspect, I see if I can get the parents to opt into testing over the phone.

 

[NurseMom1972, RN]

I have seen increased HR and slightly elevated temp (99.5 - 100) for those students that have vaped THC.  Vomiting is also something I see pretty regularly.

[salpn]

Yeah, vomiting even occurs from nicotine-vaping/smoking at times.

 

[RuralMOSchoolRN, ADN, RN]

Opiates can cause lowered HR and BP.  I know we have had a few kids take grandparent's/parent's/leftover narcotic pills like Vicodin and they can get light headed from low BP if they are opiate naiive.

[Avill, BSN, RN]

Thank you guys for your input!