SYNTHETIC CANNABINOID BONZAI RELATED CREATINE KINASE ENZYME ELEVATION: A TURKISH CENTER STUDY

Synthetic cannabinoid (locally named 'Bonzai' in Turkey) use is increasing worldwide (especially among people with low income). One of its harmful adverse effects is an increase in serum levels of muscle enzymes (i.e., creatine kinase [CK]). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bonzai use in patients admitted with elevated CK levels and to compare the 1-month survival status of Bonzai users with that of non-Bonzai users. This retrospective study was conducted on a total of 468 patients, median (min-max) age 48±22 (18-93) years. It was found that 10.68% (n=50) of the patients presenting with elevated CK levels were using Bonzai (group 1), while the remaining 418 (89.32%) patients were non-Bonzai users (group 2). Median age was higher in group 2 as compared with group 1 (p=0.001). In group 1, the predominance of male (M) over female (F) patients was interestingly high, yielding a F:M ratio of 1/49 (χ²=110.03, p<0.001). The prevalence of Bonzai use among patients admitted to our center with elevated CK levels was 10.68%. The Bonzai group patients were younger and mostly males, and none of them died at 1 month of admission. These findings may help in the management of such clinical conditions and could be a pathfinder for further studies in this field.