The UK’s first specialist clinic for young people with ketamine bladder has treated patients as young as 13, with most being girls from deprived areas, according to new research.
Medics at Alder Hey children’s hospital in Liverpool opened the country’s first dedicated ketamine clinic in response to a surge in bladder problems linked to non prescribed drug use. Analysis of the first 60 patients shows the average age was 14, with cases ranging from 13 to 15 years old. Two thirds were girls, and roughly the same proportion lived in the most socioeconomically deprived areas, according to findings published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
The condition, known as ketamine induced uropathy or ketamine bladder, occurs when prolonged use of the drug damages the bladder lining and muscle tissue. Symptoms include frequent urination, blood in the urine, and loss of bladder control. In severe cases, patients may require major surgery or dialysis.
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