Research

Methamphetamine and Pulmonary Disease

Methamphetamine is a sympathomimetic synthetic compound of the phenethylamine class that has become an increasingly popular recreational illicit drug. The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw substantial rises in methamphetamine abuse in the Pacific, Southwestern, then Midwestern and Southern states. Smoking methamphetamine is the most common route of ingestion, yet to date there has not been study regarding the potential connections between methamphetamine abuse and pulmonary diseases. Using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality within the US Department of Health and Human Services, ongoing work consists of analyzing hospital discharges that carry simultaneous diagnoses (ICD9 codes) of methamphetamine abuse and acute exacerbations of common pulmonary diseases – COPD, asthma, community-acquired pneumonia, and respiratory failure – while adjusting for confounders. Retrospective observational investigation may shed light onto the impact of methamphetamine on healthcare costs and utilization.