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The neurotransmitter gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) has been used outside the U.S. for anesthesia, addiction therapy, and treatment of narcolepsy. It is now used illegally in the U.S. as a recreational drug with alleged euphoric and aphrodisiac effects, and has been called a "date rape" drug. Common street names include "Liquid Ecstasy" and "Liquid X."
Two reports describe GHB overdose or intoxication: 88 cases, diagnosed by history, were seen at the San Francisco General Hospital ED between 1993 and 1996; and 7 cases, confirmed by urine mass spectrometry, were seen at New Orleans' Charity Hospital ED over three months in 1995. In both series, patients typically presented with a decreased level of consciousness or in coma, which usually rev…