A new state report on Anchorage's Spice problem confirms that Spice-related emergency calls have risen dramatically in the past year and may have been the primary factor in at least four deaths, but offers an incomplete picture of the health crisis.
The epidemiology bulletin released Wednesday examines the increase in emergency room visits related to the use of synthetic cannabinoids, commonly referred to as Spice, in Anchorage. Spice calls have strained emergency response resources and accounted for a significant percentage of medical emergency calls in the second half of 2015.
But with a short time frame and limited information from hospitals -- only two out of three Anchorage hospitals participated -- the new report represents only a snapshot of the issue, said Louisa Castrodale, one of the report's editors and a state epidemiologist.
Castrodale said the Spice situation is difficult to quantify because there is no standardized medical code for hospitals indicating Spice-related illness.
"We believe this is an increase. But quantifying what kind of increase, because we don't have this background, is hard," she said.
The report draws from electronic medical records collected at two of the three Anchorage hospitals between July 15 and Sept. 30. Castrodale noted that Spice-related emergency room visits happened both before and after those dates, with October -- the worst month so far for Spice-related pickups -- not included in the report. The report also doesn't take into account visits following a new law criminalizing the sale and possession of Spice passed by the Anchorage Assembly in November.
The hospitals included in the report are unnamed, and Castrodale wouldn't say which two participated or why they remained unnamed. She also said it was "unclear" why the third Anchorage hospital did not allow researchers access to hospital records. That third hospital accounted for 53 percent of all patients dropped off for suspected Spice use by Anchorage emergency responders.
A spokesman for Providence Alaska Medical Center confirmed Wednesday that the hospital participated in the study. Calls to Alaska Regional Hospital and Alaska Native Medical Center were not returned as of Wednesday evening.
Researchers found 167 records of patients who were self-identified or suspected Spice users. With only two hospitals participating, that accounted for only 47 percent of all Spice-related emergency room visits that occurred during the investigation period, according to data from the Anchorage Fire Department.
Findings included in the report include:
Castrodale said in other states dealing with Spice increases, homelessness is not as closely tied to use of the drug.
"Was that absolutely random chance for Alaska? Is that just because it's easier for the homeless population to obtain Spice? Is it kind of related to underlying health conditions for some homeless people?" she said. "There are few suggestions here about whether that was the case, but definitely the whole story isn't being played out yet."