New diagnosis code provides more accurate picture of condition
Emergency room diagnoses of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome rose 16% from last October to May of this year, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal researchers who authored the report documented the increase.
The authors wrote that “the abruptness and sustained magnitude of the increase” is largely due to the condition receiving its own diagnosis code last fall, which is providing a more accurate picture of what they described as an underrecognized problem.
Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome is seen in people who frequently use marijuana, especially smokers. It is characterized by recurring nausea, uncontrollable vomiting and excruciating abdominal pain.
Past research has estimated that 2.75 million Americans suffer from the syndrome each year. Those earlier studies also suggested that hospital emergency room visits for the condition have been rising as daily recreational marijuana use has increased.