Triage Fundamentals #13: Inhalant Abuse, Toxicities and Behavior Changes

Course overview

Inhalant abuse, toxicities, and changes in behavior share a common theme: they frequently involve a mental health concern. The way people cope with daily as well as unexpected life events has shifted in our society. Increased demands and expectations, personal needs, and unrealistic ideas of fulfillment drive many to seek escape through substance use. For others, emotional crisis erupts when there is a lack of access to care for underlying or undiagnosed mental health concerns. This course will explore organic causes of changes in behavior such as infectious processes and electrolyte imbalances. After completing this activity, practitioners should be able to: list three red flags for complaints related to inhalant abuse, toxicity emergencies and presentations related to a change in behavior; list two physiological factors that relate to the red flags discussed; and compare examples of different triage levels assigned in the case scenarios discussed.