Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, 2016 to 2022.

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), characterized by recurrent vomiting due to chronic cannabis use, is increasingly prevalent in emergency departments (EDs).
• Population-level data on CHS prevalence, temporal trends, and sociodemographic associations are limited, hindering effective public health interventions.
• Understanding these factors is crucial for managing the growing burden of CHS in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the prevalence of CHS in US emergency departments from 2016 to 2022.
• To analyze temporal trends in CHS incidence during this period.
• To identify sociodemographic factors associated with CHS visits.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), representing approximately 85% of US ED visits.
• Analysis included patients aged 12 years and older, excluding visits related to pregnancy, gastroparesis, or chemotherapy.
• ED visits were categorized, and temporal trends were modeled using restricted cubic splines, while multinomial logistic regression identified sociodemographic correlates of CHS.

Main Results:

• The study analyzed over 188 million unweighted ED visits.
• CHS prevalence increased significantly from 4.4 per 100,000 visits in 2016, peaking at 33.1 in Q2 2020, and remained elevated at 22.3 per 100,000 in 2022.
• Younger adults (18-35 years) exhibited the highest risk for CHS, while females and individuals in the Southern US showed lower risk compared to the Northeast.

Conclusions:

• CHS prevalence in US EDs saw a sharp increase coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained elevated.
• These findings underscore the importance of ongoing surveillance and the need to refine clinical recognition and management strategies for CHS.
• Further research into the underlying causes and effective treatments for CHS is warranted.