Psych Vivas · Addiction psychiatry — acute stimulant syndromes
Stimulant intoxication and withdrawal — structured clinical viva
Fellowship viva on acute stimulant intoxication, MAP, medical toxicity, crash suicide risk, and absence of approved anti-craving standard with CM/psychosocial first-line framing.
On this page & tools
Target exams
Interpretation
Reveal interpretation
This is an acute dual-diagnosis and toxicology viva, not a pure chronic addiction counselling station. Clear consciousness with persecutory delusions and formication after a multi-day ice binge favours MAP / substance-induced psychosis temporally linked to use, with dual formulation held open if symptoms persist after abstinence. Partner pressure for lifelong schizophrenia label is a classic trap — use timeline, collateral, and planned review rather than day-one diagnostic fatalism.[3]
Medical surveillance remains active even with T 37.9°C: serial vitals, ECG already done, watch for rising fever, chest pain, CK, agitation escalating to excited delirium-type risk. Behavioural ladder first; time-limited antipsychotic if psychosis is dangerous or impairing, with early review (NMA efficacy signals for MAP antipsychotics).[4]
Craving "like methadone" must be answered honestly: ASAM/AAAP — psychosocial first-line; no FDA-approved anti-craving/substitution standard analogous to OAT. You may mention selected trial signals (e.g. ADAPT-2 XR-naltrexone 380 mg IM every 3 weeks + bupropion XL 450 mg daily; mirtazapine 30 mg nocte in selected trials) as specialist discussions after acute stabilisation — not as ED methadone-equivalent starts.[1][5]
Crash plan: McGregor time course — early hypersomnia/fatigue, peak dysphoria ~day 2, improvement over 1–2 weeks — with explicit suicide monitoring and AOD follow-up. Name contingency management as the highest-yield psychosocial modality for ongoing stimulant use reduction.[2][6]
Legal status: assess risk and capacity; use jurisdiction-appropriate least-restrictive options if danger persists — do not invent section numbers for the wrong country. [1]
Key points
[1] [2] [3] [6]References
- [1]ASAM/AAAP Clinical Guideline Committee The ASAM/AAAP Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder J Addict Med, 2024.PMID 38669101
- [2]McGregor C, Srisurapanont M, Jittiwutikarn J, et al. The nature, time course and severity of methamphetamine withdrawal Addiction, 2005.PMID 16128721
- [3]McKetin R, Lubman DI, Baker AL, et al. Dose-related psychotic symptoms in chronic methamphetamine users: evidence from a prospective longitudinal study JAMA Psychiatry, 2013.PMID 23303471
- [4]Srisurapanont M, Likhitsathian S, Suttajit S, et al. Efficacy and dropout rates of antipsychotic medications for methamphetamine psychosis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis Drug Alcohol Depend, 2021.PMID 33385693
- [5]Trivedi MH, Walker R, Ling W, et al. Bupropion and Naltrexone in Methamphetamine Use Disorder N Engl J Med, 2021.PMID 33497547
- [6]Pfund RA, Ginley MK, Boness CL, et al. Contingency Management for Drug Use Disorders: Meta-Analysis and Application of Tolin's Criteria Clin Psychol (New York), 2024.PMID 38863566