Illegal Drugs - What affect on the EKG, the 12 lead?

[emt322632]

If the patient denied drug use, you have nothing else to go on unless you can run a tox screen in the back of the rig.

All you had to go on was the patient's report that he had not used illegal drugs. If you found paraphenalia (crack pipe, burnt tin foil, the drug itself) that would be a different story.

I think you did an excellent job of managing the patient as best you could.

For them to say it was a reaction to the illegal drugs...well...yeah...I guess tachycardia could be considered a reaction, but to have the non-chalant attitude that "This is just a cocaine induced MI", is just worrisome in my opinion.