Preoperative illicit drug screening among elective surgery patients in West Bank, Palestine: unveiling the hidden.

Abstract

Preoperative drug screening is not routinely performed in Palestine, which poses challenges for medical management, especially during anesthesia for surgical procedures. We aimed to determine the prevalence and types of illicit drugs through preoperative screening of patients undergoing elective surgeries and to compare these findings with self-reported drug use. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024 in the surgical departments of two tertiary hospitals. The study involved 236 participants aged 16-55 years from hospitals in the West Bank, who were interviewed about their drug use history and screened using a multidrug rapid test panel (12 drugs). Informed and parental consent were obtained, and assent was secured from participants under 18 years. Of the 224 participants who agreed to urine testing, 13.4% tested positive for at least one drug: benzodiazepines (3.6%), THC (3.1%), tramadol (2.7%), morphine (2.2%), ketamine (1.8%), and MDMA (0.4%). Cocaine, barbiturates, amphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids, and TCA tested negative in all samples. Additionally, 1.3% were users of multiple drugs. Furthermore, 7.6% reported current illicit drug use, and 3.8% were ex-users. Among those who self-reported illicit drug use, 41.2% tested positive for at least one drug, while 58.8% tested negative. Among participants who did not report illicit drug use, 10.6% tested positive. The study highlights significant discrepancies between urine screening results and self-reports, indicating high illicit drug use among surgical patients. Comprehensive preoperative screening, including interviews and urine tests, is essential for ensuring patient safety.