{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T11:55:53Z","timestamp":1789041353616,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,4]],"date-time":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1754265600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":3,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Emerg Medicine Australasia"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Gamma\u2010hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a commonly used recreational substance. It has a narrow therapeutic index. The management of GHB overdose in the emergency department (ED) is labour and resource intensive. This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of GHB presentations at one of Victoria's largest tertiary hospitals.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title><jats:p>We conducted a retrospective study on GHB\u2010related ED presentations between 2014 and 2024 and reported a case series of admissions to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). For ICU admitted patients, confirmation of GHB presence in blood was collected through the Emerging Drug Network of Australia\u2014Victoria (EDNAV) study.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>We recorded 2631 cases of GHB\u2010related presentations. The median age was 29\u2009years and 42.3% of cases were female. The presentations of individuals under 25\u2009years of age declined from 61.4% to 14.0%. The majority of patients (81.0%) were brought in by ambulance, with 12.5% accompanied by police. Most patients (93.9%) were managed and discharged from the ED or Short Stay Unit. Only a small proportion of patients (108, 4.1%) required ICU admission. The median stay in the ICU was 2\u2009days. 88.7% of cases admitted to the ICU required intubation. Eight ICU\u2010admitted patients, recruited for the EDNAV study, had a confirmed presence of GHB and other co\u2010ingestions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our study showed a significant increase in GHB\u2010related presentations to our ED. There has been a notable shift in the demographics of patients presenting to EDs with GHB\u2010related issues. GHB use poses a significant impact on EDs and intensive care services.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/1742-6723.70112","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,4]],"date-time":"2025-08-04T10:43:16Z","timestamp":1754304196000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Prevalence of <scp>GHB<\/scp>\u2010Related Presentations to a Metropolitan Emergency Department in Melbourne"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"37","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3929-7265","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hamed","family":"Akhlaghi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Department St Vincent's Hospital  Melbourne Victoria Australia"},{"name":"School of Psychology, Faculty of Health Deakin University  Melbourne Victoria Australia"},{"name":"Department of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne  Melbourne Victoria 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Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8193-6454","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sam","family":"Freeman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Department St Vincent's Hospital  Melbourne Victoria Australia"},{"name":"Department of Critical Care Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne  Melbourne Victoria Australia"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University  Sydney New South Wales Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-9998-8081","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonathan","family":"Karro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Department St Vincent's Hospital  Melbourne Victoria 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