Emergency rooms in the United States are witnessing a bizarre trend as cases of 'scromiting' saw a significant rise in the past few years, the New York Post reported. Scromiting, a term coined by the ER staff, is associated with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), which is a condition characterised by intense screaming and vomiting in chronic cannabis users. The condition is becoming increasingly common in the United States, particularly among young adults.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally recognised CHS in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), Fox News reported. CHS is listed under symptoms and abnormal findings in the ICD-10 family (R11.16) and ICD-11 (DD90.4 – Functional nausea or vomiting).
The WHO's recognition helps track CHS trends, study risk factors, and inform policy and prevention strategies. "It helps us count and monitor these cases," Beatriz Carlini, a research associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said as quoted.
"A new code for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome will supply important hard evidence on cannabis-adverse events, which physicians tell us is a growing problem," added Carlini.
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What is CHS?
As per a report by the Cleveland Clinic, CHS can affect people who use cannabis (marijuana) long-term. It causes frequent, severe nausea and vomiting.
Those who suffer from this condition might feel temporary relief with hot baths and showers, but experts say that the only way to cure it is to stop using cannabis.
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Scromiting is often accompanied by severe abdominal pain, nausea and dehydration. As per the report by Fox News, the symptoms can be so intense that they require emergency medical attention and in rare cases, CHS causes heart rhythm problems, seizures, kidney failure and death.
CHS affects particularly those individuals who consume marijuana frequently. The exact cause is still unclear, but it's believed that overstimulation of the body's cannabinoid receptors plays a role.
"The only known treatment to permanently get rid of CHS is to stop cannabis use completely. You may have symptoms and side effects of CHS for a few weeks after quitting cannabis. Over time, symptoms will disappear," the Cleveland Clinic wrote in its report.
