The Wimmera is caught up in the frightening escalation of this highly addictive stimulant. The Mail-Times has teamed up with a wide variety of organisations across the Wimmera to raise awareness of this whole-of community issue – it is something we cannot ignore.

A WOMAN screamed. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and security officers tried to help, to no avail.

“It was impossible to stop her from harming herself and damaging the department and equipment,” a nurse said.

Paramedics had taken the young woman, in her 20s, to Wimmera Base Hospital’s accident and emergency department in Horsham earlier this year.

She had taken ice, and she was out of control.

“On arrival she was very paranoid and refused to get off the trolley and into a cubicle,” a department nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“She became extremely agitated, and then became destructive and abusive towards hospital staff and paramedics.”

The woman started punching the walls.

She shrieked; she kicked; she spat. She tried to head-butt and bite whoever came near her.

“Her strength was incredible,” the nurse said.

“Although we had security and the extra help of the paramedics, we had to call the police to come and physically restrain her so we could sedate her, for her own safety and to medically assess her.”

The nurse said the woman was anaesthetised, put on a ventilator and transferred to a Melbourne hospital for the safety of all involved.

It was one of the worst methamphetamine-related scenarios the hospital’s emergency department staff had faced all year.

The side-effects of illicit drugs differ depending on the batch, the amount consumed, and the person who takes them.

Not everybody becomes violent.

The nurse said patients affected by methamphetamines and other combinations of illicit drugs came to the emergency department on ‘a fairly regular basis’ – about once a fortnight, on average.

“There seems to be an increase over holidays and weekends,” she said.

She said staff felt threatened by every drug-affected patient who entered the department.

“And it’s not always just patients who are affected,” she said.

In some instances, the nurse said relatives and friends also appeared to be affected by methamphetamines, adding another layer of difficulty to managing patients and allocating staff.

“All staff receive mandatory training for managing violent and aggressive behaviours from patients,” she said.

“But it does not prepare you for actually being in the situation where you are confronted with someone who is affected by drugs.

“Each situation is unique, but always unpredictable, which makes preparing yourself extremely difficult.”

There is a security officer present in the department at all times, and the nurse said hospital staff could call on police for extra support if a patient posed an extreme risk.

The emergency department’s nurses take into account how severely affected a patient is when they are deciding how to treat them.

“Staff will find a suitable and safe place for the patient and remove any non-essential equipment that may be used as a weapon or to harm themselves,” the nurse said.

Despite that, the nurse said dealing with drug-affected patients was still ‘really hard’.

“We have a duty of care to ensure their safety and treat them appropriately while being verbally and physically abused,” she said.

“It will often take the full attention of at least one nurse, but usually two and one doctor which can leave other staff members and patients feeling unsupported or having their treatment delayed.

“It’s also often terrifying for the other patients and visitors in the department, who are unable to leave or defend themselves due to injuries or being frail.”

She said some people would leave the department, putting themselves at risk because they might not have received appropriate treatment.

The nurse said staff could also find it difficult to continue their shift after being abused or confronted.

She said there needed to be greater community awareness about the side-effects of drug use and short and long-term consequences.

“And family and friends need to be able to recognise warning signs if someone may be taking drugs and how to help them,” the nurse said.

“Methamphetamine is a real issue for the community that seems to be becoming more prevalent.”

If you or someone you know needs help or advice, phone Grampians Community Health on 5362 1200 or visit the team at 25 David Street, Horsham.