Mehmet Necmeddin SUTASIR, Burak CELIK, Ertuğrul ALTINBILEK, Onur TOKOCIN, Derya OZTURK, Erdem CEVIK, Ibrahim IKIZCELI
Eurasian Journal of Toxicology - 2026;8(2):17-22
Objective: To describe the temporal distribution, time from intake to presentation, product and trade-name profile, polysubstance use, and emergency department care characteristics of patients presenting after synthetic cannabinoid use over a one-year period. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional, single-centre study included 140 patients aged 15-65 years who presented to the emergency department of Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital between July 2014 and June 2015 with reported synthetic cannabinoid use, based on the statements of the patients or their relatives. Demographic characteristics, temporal distribution of presentations (season, month, day and hour), interval from intake to presentation, causative product and trade name, polysubstance use, route of administration, intravenous fluid requirements, length of emergency department stay and patient outcomes were evaluated descriptively. Results: Of the patients, 129 (92.1%) were male, with a mean age of 27.2 +/- 8.1 years; 77 (55.0%) arrived by ambulance. Presentations clustered in January and July (14.3% each) and on weekends (Saturday 18.6%), and peaked between 16:00 and 24:00 (38.6%); most patients (86.5%) presented within four hours of intake. Synthetic cannabinoid alone accounted for 67.1% of cases, whereas 32.9% involved alcohol or other drugs. Smoking a hand-rolled cigarette was the most common route of administration (54.3%), and Bonzai was the most frequently reported trade name (52.1%). Repeat presentation occurred in 10.7% of patients. The mean intravenous fluid volume administered was 2107 +/- 1005 mL. Overall, 113 patients (80.7%) were discharged, 17 (12.1%) were admitted to intensive care, one (0.7%) died, and 9 (6.4%) left against medical advice. Conclusion: Synthetic cannabinoid presentations cluster in identifiable seasonal, weekly and daily patterns, are characterized by frequent polysubstance use and substantial emergency department resource utilization, and predominantly involve Bonzai-type products. Recognition of these epidemiological patterns may contribute to emergency department preparedness, resource allocation and public-health surveillance strategies.
