Operating room at HUS Meilahti Tower Hospital in Helsinki. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Hospitals in the Helsinki region have reported a significant increase in emergency plastic surgeries due to complications linked to the synthetic drug alpha-PVP, commonly referred to as “peukku”. The matter was reported on by Helsingin Sanomat.
According to Helsinki University Hospital (Hus), the number of urgent surgical patients in plastic surgery doubled during the summer. One key factor was the rise in use of alpha-PVP, a synthetic stimulant associated with severe injection-related infections.
Erika Nylander, a specialist in plastic surgery at Hus, told Helsingin Sanomat that diagnoses of abscesses caused by injection infections have been increasing steadily. Although most users report inhaling or smoking the drug, many also inject it, often with unclean equipment.
“The main cause of the infections is dirty needles,” Nylander said. “We find bacteria from the mouth and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the skin.”
Hospital staff treating such cases report a daily occurrence of serious infections. Panu Nordback, a hand surgery specialist at Hus, confirmed to HS that his department is treating between one and five patients at any given time for severe upper limb infections caused by drug injections. Some require multiple surgeries or intensive care.
The hospital has seen cases where infections spread deep into muscle tissue. In some instances, doctors have had to amputate parts of the upper limbs. Patients frequently suffer long-term complications, including sensory loss and stiffness.
Data from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) confirms that use of alpha-PVP has increased significantly in the Helsinki region since early 2022. Wastewater analyses show growing concentrations of the substance, which has a high overdose risk due to small dosage levels ranging from one to 25 milligrams.
Though alpha-PVP is not shown to cause more infections than other injectable drugs, its wider effects are placing additional strain on medical services. Patients often delay seeking treatment, arrive in poor condition, and show low commitment to completing treatment.
“The problem is addiction,” Nylander said. “Once withdrawal symptoms are managed, patients tend to adhere better to treatment.”
Aggressive or unpredictable behaviour from patients has also been reported in hospital wards. In response, staff are considering the use of personal alarms during shifts. Hus stated that such behaviour is linked more to general drug use than to alpha-PVP specifically, but the short-acting stimulant is complicating patient care.
The synthetic drug has been associated with increased risk of accidents. Patients under the influence often arrive with physical trauma in addition to infections.
Police have also connected alpha-PVP to organised criminal activity. In recent years, Finnish authorities have uncovered international networks trafficking synthetic drugs into Finland. In some cases, preparations for local production were identified.
Hus said no exact statistics are available on the number of patients using alpha-PVP, as this would require an extensive review of patient records. But healthcare workers are observing the drug’s growing impact on hospital workloads.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
