California state health regulators have accused a Newport Beach anesthesiologist of medical negligence by releasing a patient who became ill after undergoing rapid drug detox. The case serves to draw more attention to the ongoing debate among drug detox professionals about the efficacy and safety of rapid drug detox.



The doctor, Dr. Clifford Bernstein of Orange County, CA, released a female patient who later developed health problems, including pancreatitis, after undergoing rapid detox from opiates at Garden Grove Hospital. The Medical Board of California said Bernstein filled out the patient's discharge papers without reporting her ongoing flu-like symptoms. Bernstein says that the patient received proper treatment and had no medical problems at the time of discharge.

“Rapid" detox involves putting patients under general anesthesia and then flushing the alcohol or drugs from their body with special drugs. When the patient awakes, the theory goes, they have painlessly slept through a few hours of stressful and painful withdrawal. That’s the theory. In practice, it’s a different story.

In fact, rapid detox can only be administered by specially trained physicians because of its complexity and inherent dangers. Although it’s been in use for more than 10 years in the U.S., it remains controversial because of its expense, the lack of scientific studies verifying its success, and links to patient deaths.

Although the patient is anesthetized during rapid detox, the body still suffers all the terrible withdrawal symptoms. One doctor reported witnessing a patient flopping around “like a fish out of water" even though they were strapped to a table.

In addition to the stress on the body and the dangerous chemicals used, general anesthetic itself can be life-threatening. That’s why anyone requiring a general anesthetic for any purpose is asked to sign a waiver absolving the doctors and hospital from liability should something go wrong.

Quite aside from the case against Dr. Bernstein, rapid drug detox has turned out too good to be true for many patients. It is not only dangerous and uncomfortable, it can even be fatal. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that rapid drug detox offers no benefit over other detox programs, is not less painful and can be life-threatening. The American Society of Addiction Medicine said the procedure should not be used because of uncertain risks.

If you or someone you know is considering detox procedures, avoid rapid detox. Opt instead for a safe, personally tailored, medically supervised drug detox program.