Phencyclidine (PCP) abuse. A close-up look at a growing problem.
Oral surgery, oral medicine, and oral pathology February 1, 1986 S O Isaacs, P Martin, J A Washington
PCP (phencyclidine, or 'angel dust') is a dissociative anesthetic commonly abused across various subcultures in the United States, including California's psychedelic scene, the East Coast, and Midwestern suburbs. Acute intoxication can lead to extreme behaviors such as murder of one's own children or jumping from high-rise buildings, and even brief use can trigger florid psychosis lasting days. Inadvertently administering narcotics or barbiturates to patients with acute PCP intoxication may cause a fatal crisis. Clinicians must become familiar with the drug and its effects to manage these emergencies.