Presentation comparison

Emergency

Substance Intoxication

Significant intoxication can cause airway compromise, hyperthermia or trauma and needs immediate ABC and toxidrome assessment.

Safety snapshot

Emergency

Toxidrome clues: pupils, respiratory rate, nystagmus, tremor, diaphoresis, sympathetic overdrive.

Alcohol Cannabis Methamphetaminestimulant

3 of 8 diagnoses compared

Edit selection

CriteriaComparison detail	MethamphetamineEmergency

3 of 8 comparedEdit

Safety snapshot

Emergency

Toxidrome clues: pupils, respiratory rate, nystagmus, tremor, diaphoresis, sympathetic overdrive.

Alcohol Cannabis Methamphetamine

Selected differentials (3 of 8)

+5 not selected

Open a selected differential to review its clinical record.

Highest urgency

Based on current selection

Emergency

Clinical reference — not validated decision support. Review before use.

Why it fits	Agitation, paranoia, pressured speech, insomnia, tachycardia, hypertension, dilated pupils	Sedation, ataxia, slurred speech, disinhibition, amnesia	Rapid sedation, fluctuating consciousness, amnesia, sudden sleep	Slurred speech, ataxia, disinhibition, aggression, nystagmus	Conjunctival injection, slowed time perception, anxiety, paranoia, derealisation	Pinpoint pupils, sedation, reduced respiratory rate, reduced consciousness	Visual distortion, synaesthesia, altered perception, panic	Euphoria, confusion, ataxia, nystagmus, perioral rash
What argues against	Applies to the whole presentationReview locally.
Must-not-miss	Hyperthermia, chest pain, arrhythmia, stroke, violent agitation	Respiratory depression if combined with opioids/alcohol.	Airway compromise, aspiration, mixed overdose	Head injury, aspiration, hypoglycaemia, respiratory depression	Severe panic
Bedside question	Applies to the whole presentationToxidrome clues: pupils, respiratory rate, nystagmus, tremor, diaphoresis, sympathetic overdrive.
Immediate action	Applies to the whole presentationDo not assume alcohol explains everything, especially after trauma Cannabis can produce anxiety, psychosis, and depersonalisation
Investigations	Applies to the whole presentationBlood glucose
Mimics / overlap	Applies to the whole presentationReview overlap locally.

Why it fits

Agitation, paranoia, pressured speech, insomnia, tachycardia, hypertension, dilated pupils

Sedation, ataxia, slurred speech, disinhibition, amnesia

Rapid sedation, fluctuating consciousness, amnesia, sudden sleep

Slurred speech, ataxia, disinhibition, aggression, nystagmus

Conjunctival injection, slowed time perception, anxiety, paranoia, derealisation

Pinpoint pupils, sedation, reduced respiratory rate, reduced consciousness

Visual distortion, synaesthesia, altered perception, panic

Euphoria, confusion, ataxia, nystagmus, perioral rash

What argues against

Applies to the whole presentationReview locally.

Must-not-miss

Hyperthermia, chest pain, arrhythmia, stroke, violent agitation

Respiratory depression if combined with opioids/alcohol.

Airway compromise, aspiration, mixed overdose

Head injury, aspiration, hypoglycaemia, respiratory depression

Severe panic

Bedside question

Applies to the whole presentationToxidrome clues: pupils, respiratory rate, nystagmus, tremor, diaphoresis, sympathetic overdrive.

Immediate action

Applies to the whole presentationDo not assume alcohol explains everything, especially after trauma Cannabis can produce anxiety, psychosis, and depersonalisation

Investigations

Applies to the whole presentationBlood glucose

Mimics / overlap

Applies to the whole presentationReview overlap locally.

Substance Intoxication

Safety snapshot

Safety snapshot

Selected differentials (3 of 8)

Highest urgency

Applies to the whole presentation, not to one diagnosis

What argues against

Bedside question

Immediate action

Investigations

Mimics / overlap

Why it fits

Must-not-miss

Why it fits

Must-not-miss

Why it fits

Must-not-miss

Review & handoff

Copy after review

Source status

Selected differentials (3 of 8)

Highest urgency

Review & handoff

Copy after review

Source status