Chronic phencyclidine abuse and physical assault.
A M Khajawall, T B Erickson, G M Simpson
American Journal of Psychiatry December 1982 DOI: 10.1176/ajp.139.12.1604 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 150 |
| Population | Patients admitted to a PCP detoxification and rehabilitation unit, a heroin unit, and an acute psychiatric ward, including subgroups with PCP-positive urine |
| Key findings | Aggressive behavior did not differ between the PCP detoxification unit and the heroin unit. Among PCP-positive patients, urinary PCP levels were significantly higher in the 75 admitted to the PCP unit than in the 75 admitted to an acute psychiatric ward for violent behavior. The authors call for more information on how blood and urine PCP levels relate to behavior. |
Abstract
When the authors investigated aggressive behavior on a phencyclidine (PCP) detoxification and rehabilitation unit and compared similar types of behavior on a heroin unit, they found no differences between the two units. The urinary PCP levels of a subgroup of 75 patients admitted to the PCP unit who had PCP-positive urine were significantly higher than those of 75 patients admitted to an acute psychiatric ward because of violent behavior who also had PCP-positive urine. The authors discuss the implications of these findings and the need for more information on the relationship between PCP levels in blood and urine and behavior.