Chronic medical complications of drug abuse

The wide array of chronic medical and dental complications of drug abuse make a thorough working knowledge mandatory for the physician treating patients with addictive illness. The patients must be examined with these disorders in mind and when any drug related illness is found, it must be treated immediately. Detection and treatment of the chronic medical disorders of drug abuse is one critical part of the complex procedures necessary for the comprehensive evaluation of the chronically drug-abusing patient. The other procedures must include: control of the patient's environment; detection and treatment of acute medical complaints; laboratory testing; stabilization of medications; detoxification; and complete psychiatric evaluation before final treatment decisions are made and the patient is triaged to the most appropriate treatment unit.