Kiran Santlal
Background:
Dr. Kiran Santlal graduated from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, in 2008 and began working in Psychiatry of Addictions in 2014, with people who were dependent on Heroin, and later with people experiencing adverse effects associated with chemsex.
Current work and organisation:
He is currently working as a Registrar in Addictions Psychiatry, in the HSE National Drug Treatment Centre. Dr. Santlal has worked in the Club Drugs Clinic Ireland since its inception in 2014, with experience in Gamma Hydroxybutyrate and Methamphetamines.
Areas of particular interest:
Dr. Santlal is an MD candidate, researching the physical & psychosocial effects of Chemsex, enabling the development of a specialised service and the integration of affiliated services in Ireland.
Intentions for future work:
Following his MD thesis, Dr. Santlal will continue to work with his colleagues in the areas of Addictions Psychiatry, General Adult Psychiatry, Sexual Health, and Emergency Medicine to develop an effective and efficient service, to manage and reduce the harms associated with chemsex.
The Club Drugs Clinic Ireland, HSE National Drug Treatment Centre – Management of GHB/GBL detoxification, and the increasing popularity of chemsex
Objectives/Aims
To create a greater awareness of the misuse of ‘Chemsex substances,’ and the settings where they are used. The medical and psychiatric management, detoxification regimen for these substances, likely presenting scenarios and aftercare plans will also be presented in order to familiarise doctors with the symptomatology and treatment of these drugs.
Methods
Anonymised data collected include socio-demographic variables, gender and sexuality, detoxification setting, relapse history and attendance for counselling or aftercare. Descriptive analyses were conducted on referral counts, detoxification setting, success of first treatment episode, subsequent relapse rate, and uptake of counselling and aftercare.
Conclusions
The pattern of referrals to the Club Drugs Clinic, Ireland reflects population trends in the use of chemsex drugs. While detoxification is largely successful, the high relapse rate highlights the challenge of maintaining abstinence, highlighting the likely role of counselling and aftercare to further improve long-term outcome. Structured and targeted harm reduction approaches as well as elements of motivational interviewing would encourage this population to reflect on whether their lifestyle is what they really want to maintain.
Poster link: