PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USERS IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

This study aimed to perform a systematic review of the literature on the sociodemographic and psychological profile of psychoactive substance users hospitalized in Intensive Care Units (ICU), as well as their clinical characteristics and treatments. To this end, a search for articles on the subject was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, VHL and Pepsic databases. Empirical articles in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, published between 2014 and 2024, were selected. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 studies that met the present proposal were selected. As main results, it was identified that patients using psychoactive substances admitted to the ICU were predominantly men, with a mean age of approximately 40 years, with alcohol being the most used substance among them. In addition, it was found that the primary or secondary cause of hospitalization was associated with the abusive consumption of psychoactive substances, and it was evident that such practices could influence the clinical outcome. It is believed that this review can stimulate the development of research on this scarce topic, in addition to helping intensive care health professionals, especially psychologists, in the care of this portion of the population that tends to be stigmatized and that often have their demands made invisible.