Biography
Biography: Peter E. Cadman
Abstract
Cannabis has been legalized for medical and recreational use in several states, making physicians more aware of the drug’s potential toxicities. First described in 2004, the cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) has been recognized as a significant cause of hospitalization among drug users. Relatively little, however, has been written about electrolyte or acid-base disturbances in CHS. Between 2011 and 2014, six men were treated for CHS at the VA Medical Center in San Diego, CA and found to have significant hypophosphatemia (range <1 to 1.3 mg/dL). The six cases will be presented and possible causes of hypophosphatemia discussed. In half of the patients, serum phosphate levels normalized spontaneously within hours, suggesting redistribution of phosphate as a potential mechanism. Hyperventilation, which can lead to phosphate redistribution was observed in two-thirds of the patients and may have contributed. Hypophosphatemia is a feature of CHS in some patients.