Systematic review protocol to determine the most effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for the management of acute methamphetamine toxicity.

Abstract

This study describes the protocol for a systematic review. The systematic review will address experiences of managing methamphetamine intoxication, specifically violence and agitation related to intoxication, in the emergency department (ED). This study uses the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system to guide the methods in this section. The primary objective of the review is to identify experimental studies assessing the effectiveness of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies to manage acute methamphetamine intoxication in patients presenting violently in the ED. Our secondary objectives will be to assess the impact of specific strategies on the time it takes to achieve de-escalation and/or sedation, the length of stay in the ED, frequency of admission, mortality and provider satisfaction with the intervention. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board REB21-1387. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at healthcare conferences in Canada. The protocol is registered through the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (identification number: CRD42020157938) and will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extensions for systematic review protocols.