Specialist UK clinic treats teenagers for ketamine-related bladder damage

The short version

• Doctors at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool established the first UK clinic dedicated to young people suffering from bladder damage caused by sustained ketamine use.[The Guardian]
• A study of the facility's first 60 patients found they ranged in age from 13 to 15, with an average age of 14.[The Guardian]
• Around two-thirds of the patients were girls, roughly two-thirds came from deprived areas, and nearly three-quarters had suffered childhood emotional trauma.[The Guardian]
• The findings highlight rising severe urological complications among vulnerable youths using the drug.[The Guardian]

Key facts

• Clinicians at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool opened the UK's first ketamine clinic for young people in response to increasing drug-linked urological issues.[The Guardian]
• Patients as young as 13 have been referred for bladder damage associated with prolonged ketamine use.[The Guardian]
• An examination of the first 60 clinic patients revealed an average age of 14, spanning from 13 to 15 years old.[The Guardian]
• Approximately two-thirds of the analyzed cohort were girls, and a similar fraction resided in highly deprived communities.[The Guardian]
• Among the 60 patients, 16 were diagnosed with ADHD, autism, or both, while 20% had been in the care system.[The Guardian]
• Childhood emotional trauma was reported in 72% of the evaluated adolescents.[The Guardian]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Children as young as 13 being referred to UK hospital suffering from ‘ketamine bladder’The Guardian - World