Substance abuse among anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand carries a high mortality rate (24%) and poor long-term recovery within the specialty, with an increasing trend in the use of anaesthetic agents.
High mortality and low recovery in anaesthetist substance abuse warrant clinical vigilance; leaves open optimal prevention and support strategies.
A questionnaire investigating substance abuse was sent to 128 anaesthetic departments in Australia and New Zealand of which 100 (78%) replied. Forty-four cases of substance abuse were reported. Abusers were more likely to be male, aged between 25 and 35 years and abusing opioids. Death was the eventual outcome in 24% of cases. Only 19% of abusers made a long-term recovery within the specialty. Initial signs of abuse were most commonly abnormal conduct (63% of the cases) and observed abuse (37%). More than one precipitating cause was identified in 51% of cases, the most frequently reported were mental health and family problems. The pattern of substances abused was similar to that reported in the previous Australasian survey ten years ago. However, in keeping with an international trend, there appears to be an increased use of anaesthetic agents.
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Robert A. Fry (2005) studied this question.
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